The Dead Are Undead
by Alex McM
Summary: Soul Society is overrun by flesh-eating zombies after a laboratory explodes. In the World of the living, a mysterious virus with similar effects had spread. Who can you trust, when your allies themselves, are the souls of the dead!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Ths is my first x-over, so be kind. Before you start whinging 'this chapter was way too short!' It's a prologue, it's intended to be short. But don't worry, the next chapters are longer. Anyway, this will be violent, but what would you expect from a story about zombies?! Please review, I want to know if this is worth writing.

As the citizens of Rukongai went through their daily routines, a sinister experiment was happening nearby. Just over the great wall that divided Sereitei from Rukongai, within a laboratory, something inhumane was going on.

Mayuri hunched over a young woman who was strapped down to a table. She was unable to scream, a mouth gag had been stuffed in her jaws. She made muffled cries, but they fell on deaf ears. The eerie scientist grinned broadly with his ridiculously large teeth. His face was a mixture of black and white paint and his ears were concealed by orange cones. A wide blue plumage of hair flared around his face giving him the appearance of a strange pharaoh. A golden cone struck out from his chin. His wide eyes stared in awe at his test subject.

"You're tense, but there is no need to worry...this is going to work this time!" He licked his lips.

The woman screamed as Mayuri brought out a scalpel with a thick blade. It almost looked like a meat cleaver. She squirmed, but could do nothing. Mayuri raised the blade above her left arm. Her eyes widened. The blade swung down and seperated her arm from her body. She gave out a muffled wail as her blood sprayed over the insane captain's coat. He chuckled as she rolled about on the table. Mayuri then brought out a syringe filled with a blue, misty liquid. He drove the needle into the stump and injected the whole thing into her.

Sweat poured down the woman's face and she gnawed at the gag for a while until she lay still. She had died so fast. Mayuri sighed. He turned to leave, but the woman growled. She swatted at Mayuri's hand and knocked the syringe to the far corner of the room. The syringe smashed and the small remnants of the serum spilled out, a blue mist rose.

Mayuri's eyes widened and he used Shunpo to get to the door and leave as soon as possible. He slammed the door shut and looked through the thick reinforced glass window. The table was bare!

_What?!_

All of a sudden, a bloody hand bashed against the window.


	2. The Dead Shall Walk

**The Dead Shall walk**

LABORATORY – SEREITEI

TWO MONTHS LATER

Mayuri paced around his crowded little lab. His lieutenant sat still on a chair nearby, watching with keen interest. Mayuri growled and then pointed an accusing finger at his daughter.

"This is your fault!!"

"But, Mayuri-sama, I took no part in the experiment."

"Be quiet Nemu! We are done for if word spreads about this!! We must cover up the whole thing! No-one can know...no-one!!" Mayuri grunted and kicked over a pile of papers. "We have to act fast!"

"What do you suggest we do?" Nemu asked, following her captain with her weary eyes.

"We'll plant a bomb in the lab. Destroy every shred of evidence and claim it was an accident!" Mayuri dug through a box and took out a dull mechanism with several wires protruding from it. "Come!" He trudged out and made his way to the secret laboratory.

*****

AN HOUR LATER

"Emergency!! Emergency!! There has been an explosion in the eastern section of Sereitei, near the twelfth squad barracks! All units please assist!" The alarm called out to the farthest reaches of the court of pure souls. A vast army of lower ranking officers turned up to combat the blaze. They hurled buckets of water on it, but to no avail.

"Move!" Yelled a small boy with silver hair. He leapt into the air and summoned his Zanpakuto. "Sit upon the frozen heavens! Hyorinmaru!!" A great dragon of water shot forth from the blade and put out the majority of the fire.

"Thank you captain Hitsugaya!" The shinigami said as they rushed inside. Hitsugaya watched from outside. His mind was plagued with questions.

_Who would do such a thing...they destroyed the whole lab! Either they were against the work being done or...this was a cover up!_

The small captain shook his head.

_What am I thinking?! Mayuri is a weird fellow, but he would never do something that would need to be destroyed. I trust him...I think..._

More captains arrived on the scene. They all stayed outside, watching the weaker men rushing about. Some dragged bodies behind them, others came out with charred equipment, hopelessly salvaging it even if it no longer would work.

Fourth squad arrived and took men away on stretchers.

"Hey! What in the world is that?!" Captain Hitsugaya asked, pointing to a blue cloud that had rose like smoke out of the laboratory. The wind carried it over to Rukongai.

From a distance, Mayuri watched on with a look of pure terror on his face. "No...no, no NO!! It has spread!! Do you know what will happen?!" He roared to Nemu.

"Do you?" She asked innocently.

"It was designed to stop tissue from rotting and becoming infected, but it did something else. The serum caused a corpse to reanimate itself!" Mayuri glared at the blue cloud. "I believe something terribly wrong is going to happen!"

Nemu shuddered. Mayuri never said anything like that before...he was always optimistic, even when outmatched, he saw himself as superior and unbeatable. Not once had he ever been scared of something...not in two hundred years. So when Mayuri said it was bad...it would be disastrous!

*****

THE NEXT DAY

INFIRMARY

Isane awoke from a restless sleep. Her grey hair was a mess, she had been tossing and turning all night. She was having nightmares about zombies...

She rubbed at her sore eyes and decided to take a walk. It was early...very early. Most of the captains would still be asleep, even her own captain, Retsu Unohana. Her feet padded along the wooden boards of the floor as she made her way around the barracks. When she came to the infirmary, she felt a strange sensation. She could hear patients inside groaning and grunting. Some were banging on the walls. Isane froze. Those found yesterday were all in coma's or dead...they shouldn't have been up and about.

She slowly approached the door and the noise became louder The patients were growling like animals now and their fists hammered on the wooden door to the point of breaking.

"Are you okay in there?" She whispered. One of them replied with a guttural noise. Isane cringed and placed a hand on the door handle. She took a deep breath and wrenched the door open.

The first thing she noticed was the blood. It was everywhere. Crimson handprints stained the walls and deep puddles were on the floor. The white bed sheets were now pink or brown. Isane screamed and fell back. She looked under a bed where one of the patients was chewing at the throat of a nurse.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!"

The patient looked up with blank white eyes. His pupils were the size of full stops and his skin was deathly pale. He got up and charged for the open doorway. Isane leapt up and slammed it shut, beating the crazed man. She quickly crawled away from the door and merely stared at it. Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt her ribs. Her shoulders heaved and sweat poured down like a river from her forehead. She looked about frenziedly then ran off screaming for help.

As she ran desperately for safety, she came across a shinigami with a large blonde fringe which covered half of his face. He cocked his head and stared at Isane. "What's wrong?" He asked calmly.

Isane spoke so fast her words overlapped each other. Her explanation made no sense, even when she repeated them four times. On the fifth unsuccessful attempt, she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to the infirmary.

"Isane, what are you doing?! What is troubling you?" The man asked as Isane stopped. Her eyes went so wide that they almost popped out of her skull. "What? What is it?" Isane pointed to the infirmary door...it was wide open! "Oh...did the patients get out? Well, there's no hassle, they are weak and tired, they couldn't have gone far."

"No...no...they...they..." Isane fell to her knees and wept. "Izuru, it was horrible!"

Izuru backed away from her. She was acting crazy. "What was horrible? I want to help you, but I need to know what happened."

Isane sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well...I came here to check up on the patients and...and...they...they were eating each other!!"

"What?! That's not possible! Why on earth would-" Izuru never finished the sentence. Something clamped onto him and clawed at his throat. He screamed and threw the assailant off, but he had sustained a large gash to his collar bone. He stared unblinkingly at the thing before him. It wore a shihakusho, but it's flesh was rotten away, revealing bone beneath. It's eyes were devoid of irises, only tiny pupils and it's teeth were stained a dirty red colour. "What are you?!" Izuru asked, covering his gushing wound.

Isane shrieked and took out a small knife she carried on her morning walks. It was prohibited to take zanpakuto unless it was a wartime order, so she took the small dagger instead. She barrelled into the fiend and stabbed it repeatedly all over it's body and face. The fight was over in seconds, but she still stabbed madly at the creatures face. Izuru dragged her off and lent her a shoulder to cry on. "It was one of them!" She wailed.

Izuru left her as he went to check out the infirmary. It was like something out of a horror movie. Mutilated corpses were scattered about and human paint coated the walls and floor and pretty much everything else in the room. "What happened?!" He coughed violently and went with Isane to the fourth squad captain.

*****

EASTERN WALL

Shunsui Kyouraku lifted his rice hat to see the horde of rabid citizens gathering at the walls. Every single one of them was a mess of blood and rotted flesh. Shunsui sighed. "What was in that laboratory? What could possibly cause all this?"

A white haired captain approached calmly. His gaze focused on the hordes of wild people outside the wall. They were trying to climb over or break it down. They moved sluggishly and all had almost blank eyes. Their flesh was pale and rotted. It was sickening to watch.

"Do you think this was caused by that cloud yesterday, Kyouraku?"

Shunsui lowered his head. "Its possible, but how could a coloured mist do such damage? I think someone's hiding something from us. I'm going to have a chat with Mayuri about this. If anyone knows what is happening, it's him! What about you Ukitake?"

The white haired man, Ukitake, glared at the monstrous horde at the wall. "Do you think it's safe to be walking around with those things?"

"Sure." Kyouraku jumped down to the site of the explosion. "Those things are on the other side of the wall, none of them are in here."

"Grrrrr."

"What was that?!" Ukitake looked around, frightened.

"Grrrrr"

"There it is again!" Ukitake began to shiver.

"You're over-reacting! It's only a -whoa!!" A rotten, pale hand tore at Shunsui's poncho. The captain skilfully cut himself out of it and side stepped away from the beast. The creature growled and bared it's bloodied teeth. Shunsui unsheathed his zanpakuto and slashed at the creatures midsection, cutting it clean in half.

"That's that done then." He said, wiping his sword clean.

"Grrrrraaaaggghhh!" The upper half of the beast still crawled about.

"Let's go!" Shunsui dragged his friend away and they both flash stepped to a far off distance. Meanwhile, the formerly human, turned crazed zombie thrashed about on the ground.

*****

WORLD OF THE LIVING

RACCOON CITY - UMBRELLA CORP

An aged doctor rummaged through countless drawers, cursing frequently. An aide walked up to him and frowned.

"What's the matter sir?"

"I'm certain that we've been robbed! I can't find the notes on the T-Virus!" The doctor said, an obvious hint of concern on his wrinkled face.

"Well, at least the actual thing is still with us." The aide said reassuringly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." The doctor led his aide to a sealed off chamber where a clear glass case held several vials of the T-virus, a blue liquid. "This case should be full, but we are missing three vials! Someone stole the virus!! Do you know what that means!"

"I'm not sure."

"It means our competitors now have access to our greatest achievement!! It was destined to be our number one best-selling pharmaceutical drug, and now some bastard has taken it to use for himself. If they release it into the public, we will have to start from scratch!"

"But...how could this facility be breached without us knowing?" The aide asked.

"A rat!" The doctor growled. Someone in here is conspiring against us! They want to shut us down! We must find him...and kill him!"

"Kill?! Why?!"

"Not so much for the T-virus, but some of our...'experiments' would be damaging to the company if revealed to the government. It is that reason that we must kill the traitor!" The doctor stomped on the ground and the case began to shake. "NO!" He dived to catch the glass box, but it toppled out of his hands and crashed to the floor. The blue liquid instantly became vapour and spread through the room. The doctor choked on the gas and collapsed. The aide face a similar fate.

No-one noticed the poisonous cloud that spread through the facility

Oh no! RUkongai is lost to a horde of zombies! And to make matters worse, the T-virus is spreading in the World of the living as well!! Please review!


	3. Apocalypse

**Apocalypse **

RACCOON CITY

THREE HOURS LATER

A young boy ran screaming through the empty streets. A crazed man was following him. The man had an almost hungry expression and his eyes were blank white from a distance. He ran sluggishly, as if drunk. The boy turned around a corner and tripped. He fell at someone's feet. He hugged the leg and yelled out for aid. The person he was holding made a gurgling retch. The boy slowly looked up into the pin point eyes of another zombie. The boy barely managed to scream.

Further away, in a tall office building, a secretary hugged her knees as she lay against a locked door. The others outside bashed against it madly. The secretary wiped her blonde hair from her face and sniffed. Her workmates were all sick. A blue fog had seeped in through the window and everyone was coughing. She went to get some help and when she returned, they were all dead. She panicked and rushed off to call an ambulance, she waited outside until the marked vehicle arrived. She led them to the office, where everyone was up and walking. The paramedics went to check their vital signs, but her workmates bit them. In a matter of seconds, they were gorging themselves on the ambulance drivers. She ran into the bathroom and been hiding here for an hour now.

Blood was oozing under the door and every now and then, a thin bony finger would slide in and try to scratch her. Everyone was still roaring like wild animals.

The girl whipped out her phone and dialled 911. A calm voice asked her what service she needed and she went silent for a few seconds before saying, "All of them!!"

"Miss, what happens to be the problem?" The operator asked calmly.

"I don't know!! My friends were dead and then they came back to life and now they're trying to kill me!!" She yelled into the phone and overheard the operator curse.

"If I had a nickel for every time someone said that today..."

"What?!" The secretary asked quietly.

"Every single call today has either been about a blue mist, or about some wild story about zombies. Can you believe that?! It's ridiculous. It's not April fools for a few months yet!"

"I'm not joking around! They died and came back!!"

"Sure...wait, someone's knocking on the door, hold on a minute please..." The operator left the phone connected as he answered the door. There was a loud crash and then agonised screams. "OH GOD!!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU?! AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!"

The secretary's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Hello?! Is anyone there?! HELLO?! ANSWER ME!!!"

Heavy breathing and grunting was audible, but nothing else. There was a awkward cracking noise over the phone. She first thought it was static or something, but then it dawned on her...it was bones being broken! She hung up and then dialled the local station.

After a few rings, a deep voice answered. "Hello how may I help you?"

"What's going on?!" She shouted.

"Well how the hell am I supposed to know? I'm not with you right now." The officer replied.

"Everywhere around town, people are dying...but they aren't staying down! They killed the 911 operator!!" The secretary took deep ragged breaths to calm herself.

"Oh...that. Look, don't under any circumstances go outside. Lock your doors and windows and if possible, arm yourself! We have no clue about this, but are sending every available unit out. Just wait, and we'll come for you." The officer's reassurance made her sigh in relief. She gave her address and hung up.

Outside, the banging had stopped. There was no growling...it was silent.

The secretary took a deep breath and opened the door a fraction. She could see no-one. She opened it more, and still, no sign of life. She stuck her head out and looked to the left. The office was empty. She then turned to the right.

One of the undead lunged at her face. She screamed and withdrew her head. She tried to shut the door, but a rotted arm blocked the way. The secretary kicked at the pale fingers, but to no avail. The undead stuck it's creepy, expressionless face into the gap. It's mouth was stained crimson and it's white shirt was now pink. His tiny eyes focused on her and it's mouth curved upwards a fraction. He groaned and reached out for her.

"NO!! GET BACK!!" The terrified woman opened the door enough to let the beast get it's whole arm into the gap, she then slammed it shut with all of her strength. The door crushed the undead's bones and squeezed the flesh until the arm lost half of it's diameter. She kicked at the door and heard bone's crack. The arm was only hanging on by a bloody thread. She locked the door and the bolt went through the scrap of flesh, severing the arm.

She fell back and wheezed. The decaying arm lay on the floor beside her, it's pale fingers stretched out, still reaching out for prey. She kicked it aside and wept. She was doomed. Soon enough, the door would buckle and all of her former friends would dig their teeth into her soft flesh. It was only a matter of time. She was exhausted, so escape or battle would be impossible...not to mention there were no weapons.

There was a gun shop two blocks away, but the streets would be more dangerous than the office.

'boom'

'bang, bang'

'click'

'boom'

The noises outside were unmistakeable. It was gunfire!

_The police!! They came to save me!!_

The one armed zombie outside hissed at whatever was shooting and seconds later there was another gunshot and the undead slammed into the door. The secretary looked under the door at a pair of black boots.

The girl opened the door slowly and stared at another woman.

"Hi, I'm Alice." She said, clipping a pistol to her belt and extending a hand to shake. The secretary shook it and smiled.

"I'm Stephanie."

"Did they bite you?" Alice asked, concerned.

"No." Stephanie replied simply, shaking her head. Alice lifted her to her feet and handed her the pistol.

"Do you know how to use a gun?" Alice asked, not even looking at her.

"Not really. I watch action movies though, it seems easy enough."

"Point and shoot." Alice unhooked a sub-machine gun from her belt. She loaded a fresh clip into it and then set off, jogging down the hall to the elevator.

"Who are you?" Stephanie muttered, gazing at the guns and blades strapped to the girl.

"I told you, I'm Alice."

"No, no. Who are you? Where did you get all these guns from?" Steph pointed to the gun rack that was the girls back.

Alice bushed back her reddish-brown hair and laughed. "I am a friend." Her skin was pale, but she definitely human. Her brown eyes looked around nervously. She wore small brown shorts and a black tank top. Aside from the belt around her waist, two others were strapped from each shoulder, across her chest and down to her hip, forming an 'x' shape. Her hip was lined with holsters, her shoulder straps bore a sheathed bladed weapon and a shotgun.

"Are you a soldier? Cop?"

"A security guard for a genetic research lab. That's where I got the handgun. The others..."

"Where did they come from?"

"A gun shop near here. There were so many people there, someone forgot to close the door. They got in and attacked us all. Only a few people made it outside."

Steph lowered her head and went silent for a while. The elevator door hummed. Alice tensed. When the door slid open, something small crawled out.

Alice spun on her heels and tried to track it with the barrel of her gun. The small intruder went under a table. Alice slowly walked over to it, her boots crunching on broken glass. She peered over the table to see a dog. It was a Jack Russel. Alice frowned. The dog was picking at a dead zombie, leading her to assume it was infected, but it was clean and healthy.

Alice scratched her head and shrugged. She left it and walked into the elevator. A simple, catchy tune played as the carriage went down to the ground floor. The door slipped open and the two survivors made their way out.

The streets were empty for now. Burning cars littered the roads and corpses attracted masses of flies. Rats scurried about and scavenged at the stale flesh lying in the streets to rot or be consumed.

Stephanie felt her stomach tighten. Alice grabbed her hand and made her keep going.

"We can't stop out here. We have to find a safe spot to rest."

"Then what? Wait for our ammo to run out and die?"

"No! We're going to the airport. Planes are leaving every few minutes, so we have to hurry. None of the pilots are coming back, so it's now or never."

"But, the airport is so far away! It would take a whole day to walk there!" Stephanie felt her hope drain away.

"Is there any car dealers nearby?" Alice asked while checking the area was safe.

"About three blocks from here." Stephanie answered, realising the plan. She stared at the shiny black gun in her hands and sighed. She clenched it tight and started to jog. They ran side by side in complete silence for a minute. The car dealer stood out from the disastrous landscape. Brightly coloured signs were posted everywhere. Some of the cars were damaged, their windows smashed and their paintjobs scratched and cut.

Alice vaulted over a garden hedge and scanned the entrance to the dealers lot. Stephanie cautiously followed.

A car alarm went off to the right. Alice jumped to the left and turned in mid-air to land facing the disturbance.

"In the blue Ute!" Stephanie yelled pointing to the vehicle.

An zombie was dragging a dead body out of the front seat. Most likely, the victim was about to go for a test drive, before meeting a violent end. The zombie had what looked like a quick seizure before burying it's blackened teeth into the bodies stomach.

Alice shot the zombie in the eye and it was thrown back, never to rise again.

"Shoot them in the head." Alice muttered. "It's the only way to stop them from getting back up."

"Ok..." Stephanie stared at the trail of brain matter that fanned out from the lifeless zombie.

They neared the small offices in the centre of the lot. Alice smashed the glass panel walls and stepped inside. Stephanie waited outside, trembling from something far worse than the cold weather. She could hear shuffling feet and groaning. She knew they were there...lots of them...hungry, vicious, undead cannibals.

She lifted the barrel of her gun and pivoted on her heels, slowly scanning the area.

"I found a skeleton key!" Alice jumped over the broken glass piled up around the window and then looked out at the lot. "Anything take your fancy?"

"The black one's nice." Stephanie pointed to a black Holden Commodore. Alice unslung her shot gun and walked on her tip-toes, over to their getaway car.

Stephanie followed close behind.

The shuffling of feet was no longer audible. It was now a thunderous roar of running footsteps. They came out of everywhere! From under cars, behind signs, out of houses, buildings. Falling out of trees, even.

"Shit! Get to the car!!" Alice screamed over the animalistic roars of the undead horde. She fired once and took down three zombies. She walked backwards while still shooting, quickly using up all the ammunition. She clipped it on her back and took out the sub-machine gun, spraying lead in a wide arc. The front line dropped , only to be replenished by fresh undead beasts. "Hurry!! I can't hold them off for long!!"

Stephanie fumbled with the key, missing the lock several times out of panic. When she finally got the key in, she twisted it roughly and the door clicked. She wrenched it open and dug the keys into the ignition.

Outside, Alice had stopped using her guns and had taken out the sword. She swung it in wide circles, cutting down dozens of them at a time.

Stephanie jumped when the engine sparked up. She put the vehicle in reverse and heard a loud thud. She looked over at the bonnet, where a zombie was crouching, his eyes focused solely on her.

"AAAAGGGHHH!!!" She fired the pistol right in the creatures face, his nose splitting apart from the bullet. She turned the car around so that the passenger door was facing her companion. "GET IN!!" Alice performed one last slash and then dived into the car. She tucked her legs in and slammed the door as the black sedan shot off through the undead crowd.

The crazed, beasts charged at the bare gap where the windscreen used to be. Alice mowed them down with the sub-machine gun. The car jolted as it drove over their corpses. When they were on clear ground, the car gained even more speed. Stephanie peered at the side mirror. Those still standing were running hopelessly after them. She pressed her foot down harder on the accelerator and soon enough, they were dots on the horizon. It was only a matter of time, until they were on a plane and gone from this cursed town.

Raccoon city has fallen...the virus has spread so far in only a short amount of time!! Who will save humanity, when even the shinigami are in danger?!

PLease review!!


	4. Nowhere Is Safe

**Nowhere Is Safe!**

The airport was somehow untouched by the undead. They had not stretched this far, making this place a safe haven, for at least a little while. Stephanie and Alice jumped out of the car and made their way to the runway where a plane was being loaded. They arrived breathlessly at the line of passengers. A tall black man was checking the passengers for bite wounds before letting them on.

It was then that Alice noticed her body was covered in the blood of the zombies she had slain in the car lot. There were at least twenty more passengers to be checked before her, so she ran off to find somewhere to clean herself.

She found a small take away shop with a freezer full of bottled drinks. She took out a bottle of water and poured it over herself. It removed the blood and made her skin shine radiantly. She returned to the line of passengers in time to see the guard check a young man in his early twenties. The guards brow furrowed as he inspected the mans arm.

"What is this?" He asked in a deep voice.

"I cut myself on a barbed wire fence when escaping! I swear it's not a bite!!" The man began to sweat.

"I see bite marks. You're infected!" The guard blocked the stairs to the plane.

"No! Please!! You have to let me on!! My girlfriend is in Tokyo and I need to see if she's alright!!" The man got on his knees and begged.

"No! We aren't letting this thing spread! You can stay here where it's safe and we'll take care of you when you turn." The guard shoved him aside and checked the next passenger. The man barged his way in front of the guard again.

"I need to get on this plane!!"

"I said no! Now get out of my face or I will kill you right here!" The guard reached for the holster at his side.

The man shoulder charged the guard and leapt up onto the stairs. The guard sighed and fired into the back of his head. The man fell back down the stairs, but fragment of his skull remained on the steps. The guard put his gun away and looked back at the line, where people were sobbing and gasping and making disgusted and terrified faces.

"Listen clearly!" The guard yelled. "If you have been bitten, you are not coming on this flight. Now raise your hand if you've been bitten." A little girl raised her hand. Her leg had a large bite wound. The guard made her come to the front of the line and he inspected the wound. "Right. I'm sorry little miss, but you can't come on this flight."

"But she's my daughter!! I can't leave her here!!" Her frantic mother rushed to her child's side.

"If you won't leave her, then stay here!" The guard said matter-of-factly.

"What?! How can you say that?!"

"Easy." The guard repeated his previous statement. The mother glared at the man with absolute contempt.

"You are the worst thing to happen to the human race!" She growled.

"Well, if I'm the worst, then why don't you join the nice zombies outside, huh?" The guard smirked and the mother punched him in the jaw. She instantly grasped her hand from the pain and did not see the muzzle of the gun be pressed into her chest. Before she could even open her mouth, a bullet burrowed it's way through her, into her lung. She dropped to her knee's her mouth wide open. She looked over at her daughter as she toppled to one side. The girl knelt over her mother and hugger her, crying out her name.

Some more people began to cry, many argued with the guard. He fired into the air and glared at the line of people. "I am telling you now! I don't like any of you and I will not hesitate to blow out your fucking brains! So be quiet, be calm and don't get on my bad side or you'll end up like her!!"

The next passenger stepped over the corpse and was inspected. In the next ten people, eight were accepted. An elderly couple was moved aside to watch the others go on.

Alice didn't take much notice of the people going on, her gaze was fixated on the little girl. Her small eyes were fading, her pupils becoming smaller.

There were six more people until her and Steph.

The girl was flexing her fingers, which were becoming pale. Alice couldn't help but stare, but was interrupted.

"Are you bitten?" She turned to face the guard who was even bigger close-up.

"No." Alice shook her head.

"You're clean, get on." Alice boarded the plane and stopped at the doorway to see if Steph was cleared. She was. Steph bounded up the stairs and hugged Alice.

"We're going to be saved!!"

Alice shrugged and went on board. The sat on the side closest to the door, near the front. Alice chose the window seat and sank into the comfortable blue padded chair. She lifted the curtain and felt her stomach tighten.

The little girl was gone!

The guard came on board and shouted at a man at the back of the plane, searching the luggage. The man gave a thumbs up and the guard leaned out of the door to yell at the men outside. As the staircase was detached from the plane, the guard sat down near the front, only four rows from Alice, who was now hyperventilating.

"Are you afraid of flying?" Steph asked as the plane surged across the runway.

"No...It's that girl! The one who was bitten! She ran off somewhere!" Alice looked around nervously.

"What?! You mean she's on the plane?" Steph shivered.

"I'm not sure!" Alice wiped sweat from her forehead. "You've still got that gun?"

Steph took the weapon out of her pocket and showed it to her friend. Alice sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"Hey, Where are we going?" Steph asked.

"Well, that guy said something about Tokyo, so I think it's Japan." Alice looked out the window and gasped. The city below was no longer a city, but a burning wasteland. The dark blanket that was the undead covered the streets.

Someone at the back of the plane asked a question to no one in particular. "Hey, how do we know any where else is safe?"

"It just is! Haven't you heard of positive thinking?! A teenage girl yelled in response.

"Hey, you have even more weapons than me!" A woman with short black hair leaned across the aisle to talk to Alice and Steph. "I'm Jill Valentine, what about you?"

"I'm Alice. This is Stephanie."

"You ever been to Japan before?" Jill asked.

"Once, when I was five." Steph looked at the floor. "I don't remember much."

"Oh well, there are worse things to happen than forgetting a vacation." Jill wore a light blue strapless top and a black skirt. Her legs bore sheaths for hunting knives and two holsters were on each side of her waist, both holding pistols. "Do you think it'll be safe there?"

"I hope so." Steph replied.

"It has spread so fast, most likely, it'll be the same as Raccoon city by the time we get there. But I hope I'm wrong." Alice stared out the window at the clouds.

The pilots voice came over an intercom. "We will be in Japan in about two hours, relax and enjoy the flight."

*****

KARAKURA TOWN

KUROSAKI CLINIC

An orange haired boy sat down on his bed, a towel wrapped around his head like a turban. His usually spiky hair was almost flattened. He threw the towel aside and picked up the TV remote. He switched the television on and waited for an anime show to start as it had every week at this time. Instead, a red background with big white bold letters reading: 'breaking news' was flashing onscreen.

"What's this?"

A reporter was shown, his expression grim.

#We have received word of an unusual disaster in the United States.#

Ichigo turned up the volume. "Hey, Rukia!" The girl he called fro crawled out of the built in cupboard and flicked back the bang of hair which fell across the middle of her face.

#We have no real indication of what is happening, but we have received an emergency broadcast from Raccoon city, local news#

The scene switched to a frightened man in a torn suit. The screen flickered with static.

#Um, hello there. An unexplainable disaster has occurred in only the last couple of hours. A gas cloud descended over the town and many people started to die with no real cause. But that is not the emergency...The...the dead are coming back to life! They are like...like zombies!! They have killed many and are growing in number! We should be safe here in the studio, but outside, they are everywhere! We have no way to escape, and so we shall share our last moments revealing what we know.#

Rukia and Ichigo watched wide eyed as footage played of huge masses of rotten corpses walking drunkenly around the streets. People were pounced on and their flesh devoured, the whole thing filmed.

"Holy shit!"

Footage of a man armed with a rifle, frantically shooting down a few of a large crowd of undead played. The man screamed as the gap closed and he was thrown to the ground where his stomach was torn apart and his eyes clawed out.

Rukia turned away and closed her eyes.

#We don't know why this is happening, or how to stop it. But we know this! Destroying the brain will kill them permanently! Wait...what's that noise?#

Loud banging came through.

#Um...many citizens are opting to flee the country and go overseas for safety. Those who are infected are stranded here, but some have tried to escape by boat, but the navy has stopped them from going else where.#

Footage played of a boat crammed full of screaming people. Their boat had a message painted on the side. 'We are not zombies!' A loud bang followed and the ship exploded.

"Oh my god?! They killed them!!" Rukia covered her mouth with her hand.

#This cannot spread! It must be contained! No mater what you do, don't let people in if they are bitten, because they are infected!#

A low guttural growl was audible over his message. People in the studio were screaming and all of a sudden, the undead appeared. The camera toppled over and a human head rolled past. The reporter was tackled by a zombie and before his throat was slit by jagged fingernails, he yelled, "SAVE YOURSELVES!!" Then everything went to static.

The film cut off and the Japanese reporter had gone pale. He was sweating visibly. "Um...Yes...American authorities are struggling to contain the infection, but so far the only case have been reported around the Raccoon City area. It is estimated that with the high infection rate, half of the United States will be affected by tomorrow."

"Fuck...this is insane!" Ichigo turned to his raven haired friend. "What do you think caused it? Could it be a hollow of some sort?"

"Hollows can infect people, but in this way...I'm not sure. I'll try and contact Soul Society and see if they know anything." Rukia took out her soul pager and typed in a short string of numbers. She waited for a minute before putting the phone away. "They aren't responding."

"Hmm. That's weird. Try again, it could be your phone!"

Rukia did as asked and tried to call again, as before, she got no response, only the dial tone. "We've lost contact with Soul Society...whether it's my phone or theirs, it's not working. We should talk to Urahara." Rukia slipped into a blue skirt and a white shirt and then set off to the Urahara Shoten. Ichigo followed close behind.

Once there, they found Urahara sitting on the front porch of his store. He looked up from beneath his striped hat and frowned. "Here to contact Soul Society?"

Rukia nodded. "How did you know?"

"I knew you wouldn't be able to reach them, so you'd come here for another try." Urahara explained.

"How did you know it wouldn't work?"

"Because all connections have been lost. No-one can contact the Soul Society. They've been running the cleaners non-stop for the past two days, so we can't get there either. Something must have happened over there, and they don't want anything to get in or out until it's over."

"You think they are in danger?!"

"Well, the captains will be fine, I hope...the lower ranking officers though, may be unlucky. I don't know what is the problem, but it's definitely serious."

"What could it be?" Ichigo asked.

*****

SEREITEI

FOURTH SQUAD BARRACKS

"Help him!! He's going to die!!" Isane frantically screamed.

Her captain had been trying to heal Izuru's wound for several hours, but the condition had not changed at all. Izuru's breathing was laboured, coming in wheezing gasps every few seconds. Hs neck had bled so much that his kimono, once black, was now a dirty red colour. His skin was quickly losing colour and his pupils were dilating.

"My techniques won't work! Nothing will! It's as if anything kido-based has no effect!" Unohana was beginning to panic, something she rarely did. "I cannot do anything, other than bandage him up, but the blood will still flow."

"Izuru...please don't die!" Isane was now on her knee's, level with her friends gaze. When He was in fourth squad, he and Isane were best friends, but they had a falling out when he was sent to a different squad. Throughout that whole time, they had still had feelings for each other. Isane felt tears drip down her cheeks.

She could no longer feel Izuru's presence...he was gone.

"No...it can't be..."

"I'm sorry, Isane, I did everything I could." Unohana bowed her head and sighed. "I have never experienced anything like this. Never have my techniques not worked...what did you say attacked him again?"

"Well, it was a dead person!"

"A dead person?"

"Well, he was dead for a while...the he got up." Isane tried to explain what happened.

"What are you on about? The dead cannot get back up again. That's imposs-" A pale hand grabbed Unohana's throat and began to strangle her. She gagged as her throat was constricted.

"No, not you too?!" Isane backed away as Izuru rose to a seated position. His eyes were almost blank, save the tiny black dots that were glaring at his former comrades.

"Urrrrrggghhh." He grunted as he lifted Unohana off of her feet. Patches of his skin were splitting and making hideous gashes. He tilted his head as he stared at Unohana. The captain had closed her eyes and was gritting her teeth as her life was drained away. Izuru leaned close to her face and appeared to kiss her, but he actually bit her cheek, tearing a chunk of pale skin away from her face. Unohana screamed in agony, her back molars visible now that the cheek was gone.

Isane retched and ran from the room, searching for a weapon.

Izuru, meanwhile, was now gnawing at Unohana's throat.

Isane found a scalpel and hurled it at her former friend. The blade struck him in the spine, intended to paralyse him, but it had no effect. He purred and removed the blade himself, studying it before using it to mutilate the Fourth squad captain, who no longer alive.

Isane shrieked and ran from the room. Outside, the other undead shinigami, were gathering. She vaulted over a fence before they noticed her and then kept running, uncertain of her destination, just wanting to get as far away as possible from the fourth Squad's area.

*****

CAPTAINS MEETING

The captain commander bowed his head. The others present bore grave expressions.

"I assume you have all witnessed the state of Rukongai's citizens?" the ancient commander asked. One eye was open to see the reactions of his followers.

"What happened to them?!" Captain Hitsugaya asked.

"They are the undead!" Mayuri answered for everyone.

"You know about this, Kurotsuchi?" All eyes fell on the strange looking captain.

"I wish I could say no, but, I know what caused this."

"What? Tell us!"

Mayuri sighed. One of the drugs, in the laboratory. It was a highly infectious chemical which was designed to keep flesh tissue alive and healthy, not only to stop rotting, but as a cosmetic application as well. Unfortunately, tests showed that it did not stop flesh rotting or ageing, it only stopped the body from dying. This means, that when someone who has been exposed to the agent dies, they are quickly reanimated. Somehow, the brain keeps working, even when the body is destroyed. I was going to dispose of the chemical, before it could cause such a widespread disaster, but somebody destroyed my lab, spreading the chemical into Rukongai and causing masses of the undead to now storm our gates."

"You mean this is your fault!" Kenpachi growled.

"No! Someone blew up my lab before I could take out the chemical. They, either deliberately or unwittingly, spread the virus!"

"I believe you Kurotsuchi. You would not destroy your own lab, knowing the consequences, but, still. You created such a monstrous thing!"

"Actually, it is not my invention. I was studying the differences between American and Japanese hollows, to see if their habitat made them adapt differently. I stumbled upon a research lab and found this. I decided to take it and see whether it worked on souls as well as humans." Mayuri looked around at the angry glares cast down on him.

"Very well. Thank you for sharing that with us. If you find anything else, do not hesitate to tell us." The captain commander waved a hand to the other captains. "Does anyone else have any information on this menace?"

"You have to destroy their head to kill them." Shunsui added. "I cut one clean in half and it still crawled around as if nothing happened. Also, it seems that Zanpakuto are practically useless against them."

"Then how do we kill them?!" Ukitake asked.

"I know why this is so!" Mayuri interrupted. "When the corpse of a soul reanimates, it becomes a primitive sort of gigai, making it impervious to soul based attacks."

"So, we have to use mortal weapons against them?" Byakuya asked. "These dim-witted creatures are more of a hassle than I first thought."

"Those dim-witted creatures used to be innocent people!!" Ukitake roared. "Don't compare them to animals unless when they have done nothing wrong!!"

"Their mind is like that of an animal, hunt, kill, feed. They only operate by instinct, not actual thought! We should slaughter them like dogs and end this stupid mess!" Byakuya clenched his fist.

"That is much harder than it sounds..." Mayuri muttered.

"This is going to be fun!!" Zaraki grinned wickedly, unsheathing his rusted sword.

Soon, the resident evil and Bleach characters will meet, but even on a united front, can they defeat the undead hordes?! 

Please review!!


	5. It Has Spread

**It Has Spread!**

ON-BOARD THE EMERGENCY FLIGHT TO TOKYO

Alice woke up with a start. She never even remembered falling asleep. Everyone else seemed sleepy as well. Steph was sound asleep beside her, breathing softly, hugging a pillow she must have gotten from a stewardess.

Jill was lost in slumber too, sprawled on her chair, her head rolled over the arm rest. Other survivors were in deep rest. No longer tired, Alice decided to get up from her seat, besides, she felt natures call. She stepped over her friend, feeling slightly embarrassed that if Steph woke up, she would see up her skirt. Alice jumped into the aisle and overheard the large, black guard snoring. She stared distastefully at him and then made her way to the toilets at the back. She passed row after of row of sleeping faces. Their calm expression made her slightly forget the nightmare they experienced earlier.

She approached a small child on the floor in front of her. She looked at the child, who at best guess would have only been three or four years old. She pushed the toddler closer to her family and then went to the toilet door. It said engaged on the first door, so Alice stepped over to the second which was empty. She slipped inside and did her business.

Meanwhile, the first toilet door opened.

When Alice finished she flushed the toilet. The noise was so loud she expected to accidentally wake the other passengers. She washed her hands quickly and stepped out. The child in the aisle was no longer there, she must have crawled under the seat or something. Alice ignored it and returned to her seat. She squeezed past Stephanie, who remained asleep, merely groaning when Alice's hair brushed over her cheek.

Alice looked out the window at the night sky until everyone awoke. Jill coughed and played with her hair until she thought it looked good enough, she then looked over at Steph, who was still under the spell of the sandman.

"Did you have nightmares?" She asked simply.

"No more than usual." Alice replied. She had numerous dreams of undead creatures killing people.

"I had one or too, but I've seen awful stuff for most of my life, so it's no big deal." Jill stroked her pistol, as if it were her pet.

"My baby!! Where is she?!" A woman at the back was calling out. Alice assumed it was the mother of the child in the aisle. "She was here when we went to sleep, now she's gone! Lucy! Lucy are you there?!"

"Humph. Can't have gone far on an aeroplane. What a stupid woman." Jill glared at the panicking lady. The woman got out of her seat and went to the stewardess at the front.

"My daughter is missing."

The guard approached from behind her. "Ma'am, we are on a plane over Japan. How could you possibly lose your child?" His scowl showed no sympathy.

"But-"

"She probably got into the luggage compartment in the back or something. "I'll send someone to search. In the meantime, return to your seat and calm down." The woman resignedly went back and sat down as a male steward entered the luggage compartment in the back. The small storage room looked like a warehouse, with bags and crates scattered everywhere. He looked around with a torch and found a large splatter of red on the back wall. He focused the beam of light on it and stared. "What the hell?!" He wandered closer and heard munching noises. They were coming from behind the crate. The steward felt his heart hammer in his chest as he got closer. A pile of bags blocked him off, so he had to crouch to see behind the crate. He got on his hands and knees and crawled into the small gap.

He pushed the torch into the gap and suddenly a pair of blank white eyes stared at him. "What the-" The creature growled and grabbed the man by the face, fingers clawing at his eyes. He was slowly dragged into the hole and devoured.

"Sir, that steward has been in there for an hour now! Where is my daughter?!"

"Oh shut up. If you're so concerned, go find her yourself!" The guard leaned back in his chair.

The woman snarled and took his advice, setting off for the luggage compartment. The door was unlocked and it creaked as she drew it aside. The steward was nowhere in sight, but it was so dark that that was not very surprising. She walked around blindly and almost slipped on a spill on the floor. She fell on one knee and felt something round and metallic. She picked it up and realised it was a torch. She turned it on and suddenly her hands and knees were crimson. The scream died in her throat and she merely made a wheezing sound.

"Grrrrrr." It came from above. She lifted the torch to reveal a small figure perched on a crate. Her eyes were adjusting to the dark, so she could not see it properly, but whatever it was, it pounced. She felt it barrel into her and her head crashed to the floor. She wanted to scream, but her throat was torn open by something small and sharp. As her eyes rolled back into her skull, her peripheral vision picked up something beside her...her dead daughter.

Meanwhile, in the cabin, the others were relaxing. A movie was playing to take their minds off of the missing child. A man at the back noticed a shadow creeping up on him. He assumed it was the annoying mother returning, so he ignored it. Seconds later, something was growling and gnawing at his collar bone. "Fuck!! What is this?!" Blood poured out of his mouth and he passed out. The others screamed as the undead girl from the runway jumped over seats, killing several people with unnatural ease.

"Shit!! It's one of them!! Kill it!!" The guard commanded the passengers.

Jill took out her pistol and aimed it at the bloodied monster that was feasting on a old woman's brain matter. She glanced off one shot, which missed, burrowing straight through the planes hide. Pressurized air begin to seep into the plane, knocking the beastly child from it's roost. It collapsed to the floor where another armed passenger drove a butcher knife through it's left eye and into it's brain. Suddenly the plane buckled. As people fell over, something else began grunting like a wild animal. The dead man a the back was now alive again. He charged through people, lashing out at them, as he made his way to the front. Alice beheaded him with her sword as the irritating mother burst out of the luggage compartment. Her throat was ripped apart, leaving her windpipe to hang out like a rope.

"How many of them are there?!" The guard asked as he fired at the woman. She was moving in a strange way, sidestepping and leaning constantly, making it hard to aim. She took down two more passengers who quickly rose up again.

"There's about four now!" Alice said as she shot at one of them. Stephanie finally woke up and turned to see the zombies coming across the aisle, hungry for her flesh. She screamed and removed the shotgun from Alice's back. "No! Don't shoot that in here!!"

Alice discharged the weapon and a spray of bullets tore through the zombies as well as the plane.

The pilots voice came in over the intercom. "We've lost control!! We can't steady her!! We're going down!!! Brace yourselves!!"

"Only when I kill these fucking things!!" The guard hurled a thin knife at one of the zombies, hitting it in the forehead. It fell to it's knees and then slowly toppled over.

Alice lined up a shot to take down the last zombie, but the plane pitched sharply and she was thrown to the floor. The plane began to nosedive. The zombie fell down next to Alice who shrieked as the beast tried to gab her throat. She kicked it's hands away and then punched it in the face. The creature reeled back after a short time and she struggled to hold it back. She noticed the lever to open the side hatch. It was a dangerous risk, but it was the only way. She kicked the zombie in the jaw and it's head snapped back. She then axe kicked the lever, opening the hatch.

"HOLD ON!!!" She screamed as the rush of air became a vacuum. She grasped the bottom of the chair and watched the confused look on the undead mans face as he was hurled into the air over Japan. His eyes widened as he plummeted.

One unfortunate old man was sucked out as well. He cried out as he watched his life fade.

Alice looked out the gap in the plane and saw the world getting closer and closer. They were near a river. A bridge linked the two sides. Soft green grass lined the banks, which were slight hills. She took in more details before...

'CRASH'

*****

A nearby Japanese man watched the plane crash. He ran up to the wreckage and found a man with rotted flesh lying amidst the wreckage. His hands were twitching, a sign of life. The Japanese man knelt down and looked into the victims eyes. They were almost blank, save the pin-point dot that centred upon him. The mans teeth were all bloody.

"Sir, are you alright?!"

"Grrrrrrrrr."

"Are you okay?! Where are you hurt?!"

"!!" The crash victim bit the man on the hand, stripping away a chunk of flesh. The man roared in pain and ran off. The crash victim used a broken arm to try and drag itself up the hill. He heard rustling from behind and before he could turn, a bullet passed through his temple.

*****

Ichigo and Rukia heard a loud bang at the Onose river. They rushed over and saw the flaming wreckage of an aeroplane. "Oh my god!! Ichigo!! Call for help!" While Ichigo dialled emergency numbers, Rukia dug through the wreckage and dragged out an unconscious girl with reddish brown hair and a multitude of weapons strapped to her body.

"All these weapons...is she a terrorist?!" She found more people inside, armed to the teeth. She dragged them out and placed them in a line. She checked their vital signs and felt some relief when ambulances arrived.

The paramedics scurried about, placing them on stretchers and then driving off.

"What do you think caused the crash?" Rukia asked. It was then that a group of armed policemen instructed them to get out of the way. The couple retreated to the bridge, about twenty metres away.

The men were taping up the vessel and placing sheets of plastic over the plane, as if...sealing it.

"They're sealing off the plane! It must have come from America!" Ichigo gasped.

"What?! You mean with all the undead people?! That means it is here too!!" Rukia began to panic. Ichigo wrapped a protective arm around her.

"Don't worry...We'll be safe. I promise." Rukia looked into his eyes and felt a reassuring warmth from his words and his serious gaze. They watched in silence as people began taking photos. When they were again asked to back away, they went home.

When they stood outside the Kurosaki clinic's doors, Rukia gasped and froze. "If they were infected...they went to the hospital!! They'll kill everyone!!"

"Don't worry. They reacted quickly to the crash, they'll sort out the patients quickly as well. Besides...they're not in our house!" Ichigo pushed open the door and found Yuzu and Karin wheeling a stretcher into the clinic. "Oh fuck..." Ichigo almost collapsed.

He hurried into the clinic and watched his father checking up on a frightened woman. She was the brunette that Rukia dragged out first. There was also a blonde woman and three others.

"Dad!! What are you doing?!" Ichigo roared.

"The hospital was full, so I took a few of these victims from the plane crash." His father explained.

"Have any of them got bite wounds?!" Ichigo asked fearfully.

"They have many wounds, but as far as I know, they aren't bite marks." Isshin said, studying the patients. "Why?"

"Never mind." Ichigo went up to his room and lay awake on his bed.

_They haven't been bitten...they aren't infected...they aren't infected..._

Meanwhile, in the clinic, Yuzu and her father worked on a man in his middle age. He was covered in cuts and gashes and a chunk of flesh was missing from his shoulder. Isshin got a pair of tweezers and pulled out a white piece of shrapnel. "What the...? Is that a piece of metal, or a tooth?" Isshin squinted at the white object. He stopped and turned to his daughter. "Honey, patch him up and then go to bed. I'm going to have a look at this." He showed her the strange piece of shrapnel.

"Okay, dad!" Yuzu beamed, taking out a first aid kit. As she wrapped up the mans arm, his eyes burst open, revealing blank whites.


	6. Dead Serious

**Dead Serious**

Be forewarned, this chapter get really cruel, nast and gross! But, If you're reading a story about zombies, you probably already expect that...anyway, read on and don't get too scared!

KUROSAKI CLINIC

Rukia and Ichigo stared with terrified expressions. Ichigo's father had accepted a bunch of infected people. So far, no-one really knows what spreads the virus, but bites are a definite. If contact with their blood is another, then Isshin will soon become one of them. If Yuzu and Karin are assisting then...

Ichigo cursed and kicked his bed. "If contact with blood spreads it...then it's too late for my entire family! They're all fucked!! Dammit!!"

"Ichigo, there's nothing we can do..."

"I can't let them turn into those things!!"

"Then kill them before they turn. Destroy their brains. Behead them all in their sleep." Ichigo ran to the bathroom and threw up. Rukia waited patiently for him to return. When he came back in, she rose to her feet. If this place is crawling with the infected, we can't stay here. We'll have to take up residence somewhere else, somewhere safe."

"What about the school. It's dark, so the whole place will be abandoned!" Ichigo said excitedly, a contrast to his previous mood. "Pack a bag or two with clothes and blankets. I'll go get some food and water." Rukia nodded and started loading her clothes into a camping bag.

As he dumped bags of chips and bottles of water into a camping bag, Ichigo realised he should say goodbye to his family. He never got to say it to his mother, but he still had time to do it to his sisters and dad. He left the food and went into the living room. Karin sat on the couch, watching a documentary on a major war. Ichigo sat down beside her and gave her a big hug. She stared at him as if he had spat on her.

"What's that for?" She asked.

"I love you. Whatever happens, you will always be my sister, and I will always be there for you!"

"What's wrong with you? Have you got cancer or something?" She asked sarcastically.

"There's some weird stuff happening right now. I want you to be brave throughout it all." Ichigo's gaze bore into her.

"Um...okay?" She said, unsure. Ichigo hugged her again and then went upstairs. Karin looked blankly at the floor, confused.

Ichigo walked into his father's room and found him studying a small white object with a microscope.

His finger was bandaged up, a small red stain was visible, the wound was fresh.

"What happened to your finger?" He asked calmly.

"Oh, I just cut myself by accident, no big deal." It was...it truly was.

"Cut on what?" Ichigo asked fearfully.

"This!" Isshin held up the white object. "It's a bloody tooth!"

Ichigo went white. His knees wobbled. "Do...do you feel alright?"

"Pretty good, but I've been feeling a bit nauseous since I cut my finger." Isshin placed a hand on his forehead. His skin was already turning a slight shade of grey. He went back to his work, turning his back to Ichigo.

The fiery haired boy sighed and picked up a nightstand. "I'm sorry dad, I won't let you become one of them!"

Isshin spun on his office chair. "Become what son?-" Ichigo brought the nightstand down on Isshin's head, knocking him to the floor. Ichigo then beat his skull until it caved in. Blood was all over the floor, walls and his bed. Ichigo dropped the nightstand and fell back into the wall, sobbing hysterically. He immediately ran out of the roo and locked his father's bedroom door tight. He nervously returned to Karin.

"Where is Yuzu?" He asked breathlessly.

"Why? Do you need to give her your dying speech as well?"

Ichigo forced himself to laugh. "Yeah, where is she?!"

"She's in-"

A shrill scream interrupted her. It came from the clinic. Ichigo sprinted into the small room and found Yuzu on the floor. She was crawling towards him, her bloodied hand outstretched. A large bite wound was in her fore-arm, revealing white bone beneath.

"Ichigo...What happened?"

Ichigo trembled. He stared at the undead man who stood behind his sister, scraps of her flesh stuck in his rotted teeth.

"YOU BASTARD!!!" Ichigo shoulder charged the beast and knocked him into the garage. The zombie fell down beneath the tool rack. Ichigo picked up the automatic drill and punched the bit into the creature's eye socket. The zombie wailed. Ichigo gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. He flicked the switch and the zombie convulsed as it's brain was chewed up by the drill and spat out all over the room. Dark blood gushed out of it's eyes and mouth, spilling all over Ichigo's hands. He stared at the blood in shock.

"Their blood won't infect you, it's their saliva." A female voice explained. Ichigo spun around to face one of the patients, the one with reddish-brown hair. She had re-armed herself. "Your sister will be next to turn. You should spare her the misery."

"Who are you?! Why did you come here?!" Ichigo roared, tears pouring down his face. He ran to Yuzu's side and hugged her. She clutched him tight and whimpered like a wounded dog.

"Ichigo...it hurts..." Blood was pumping out of her arm like a tap. It went all over his shirt and he groaned in disgust.

"Yuzu, I love you...which is why I have to do this."

"Do what?" Yuzu asked innocently as Ichigo rose to his feet. He extended an arm to the woman who handed him a pistol. "What are you doing? Ichigo?!" Yuzu crawled closer to him, but he just stepped back more. He lined up the shot and closed his eyes as he pulled the trigger.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu whispered, just before the bullet passed through her forehead and out the other side. Ichigo dropped the gun, then collapsed to the floor and wept.

"Ichi, what the hell are you doing back here?!" Karin ran into the room and screamed. The sound was more nightmarish than anything he had ever heard before.

*****

SOUL SOCIETY

As the captains considered a plan of action, lower ranking officers were told to guard every inch of the wall around the first squad compound. Some officers had been left outside. They would have to fend for themselves or perish.

One such individual was Isane Kotetsu. She was lost in the middle of eighth squad territory. It was a safe haven for now, so she was able to fortify the place, locking every gate, blocking every exit.

She sat in the middle of the courtyard, alone, only armed with her zanpakuto and a small knife. She had received a hell butterfly stating that she was on her own, and that zanpakuto were useless against them.

She set her zanpakuto down and strolled around the area. She climbed a staircase she made out of crates and looked over the tall wall. There was a small group of undead shinigami wandering around outside, but none seemed interested in her, they appeared to be looking for something else.

"Aaaaaaaggggghhhh! We've been discovered! Let's go!!" A small trapdoor set into the ground opened and a dozen shinigami charged out. Three of them fought off the undead as the rest clambered out. One of them spotted her.

"Hey!! Assistant captain!! Let us in!! We are normal!!"

Isane frowned. She didn't want to risk it. It was too dangerous. More zombies were beginning to arrive. The survivors were now banging on the gate.

"LET US IN!!! HURRY!!"

One of them cried out as he was knocked to the ground and devoured. Another beheaded one of his killers and stabbed another in the face. He took down three of the undead beasts before they got him. Isane watched wide eyed as the battle unfolded.

"DAMMIT!!! HURRY UP AND OPEN THE GATE!!!"

Two more screams came from the other side of the wall. Isane knew they were doomed. The undead were all around them. If she opened the gate, they would storm the place and kill her too. She needed to survive! She couldn't take unnecessary risks. She dropped down from the wall and went into the barrack, where the dying screams of the few remaining survivors were not heard.

*****

KUROSAKI CLINIC

"Ichigo, what have you done?! You fucking killed Yuzu!!!" Karin stared wide eyed at her dead sister, fragments of her skull and scraps of flesh littered all over the ground around her. "I'll kill you!! You monster!!!" Karin lunged at her brother, strangling him with fury blazing inside her eyes. She was crying at the same time as she was roaring curses.

Ichigo tried to explain himself but the strangle hold was getting stronger and stronger. Ichigo's face went dark red; she was really going to kill him.

Alice frowned and grabbed the insane young girl and threw her aside, then helping Ichigo to his feet.

Karin glared at Ichigo. "I don't know what's going on...but you'll pay...you'll pay!! I'll tell the police and they'll-"

"Grrrrrrrr."

"Huh?" Karin turned around...only to be tackled by an undead man.

"Shit!!" Ichigo grabbed a hacksaw from the garage shelf and placed the blade under the zombie's neck. He then jumped backwards; causing the blade to dig into the zombie's throat until his head fell back, hanging on by a tiny scrap of flesh. It did not stop it though. The lifeless eyes glared at Ichigo and it crawled off of Karin and swiped at him instead. Ichigo stepped back and axe kicked the zombies head. The scrap of flesh ripped under the pressure and the head bounced around on the floor, spewing blood all over the tiles floor. Karin stared at it with wide eyes.

"What was that?!" She asked.

"They're the undead!" Alice explained. "There was a virus released into the public. It caused them to die, but to keep the body alive, but it becomes cannibalistic and over-aggressive, almost as if they have rabies."

"This is nothing like rabies!" Karin sook her head. "This is fucking impossible!!"

"Karin...If you get bitten, you will become one of them, it's how the virus spreads." Ichigo sighed. "Yuzu was bitten...it was all I could do..."

"You bastard! She could have been helped!!"

"There is no helping them. The virus can interact with the body within minutes, depending on the person. Your sister would have had a weak immune system, kids are worse affected." Alice sounded almost like a doctor as she spoke. She looked around at the other victims. "We have to gather supplies and leave."

"We are. I have a friend upstairs packing clothes and blankets. I was going to get food..." Ichigo looked down at his sister. "But I got distracted..."

"Well, get to work. If they are already turning, it's only a matter of time before the rest become zombies."

"Why don't we kill them now?" Karin suggested.

"It won't stop them. Half of the victims are at a hospital somewhere in your town. They'll have already turned by now." Alice's face was grave. These two are safe. They're my friends. I'll try and wake them. Little girl, you go get food, you...Ichigo wasn't it? Go find as any weapons as you can. We need to arm ourselves!"

Karin ran into the kitchen and loaded the bags full as fast as she could. Rukia descended the stairs and found her. Karin stared at her. She was still in a state of shock, so she did not ask who Rukia was, merely handed her the bags of food and went upstairs herself.

Ichigo found a truck which his father used as a makeshift ambulance. He loaded a chainsaw, hedge-trimmer, axe, hacksaw, automatic drill, circular saw and a few more power tools into the back cabin.

Alice forced Jill and Stephanie to wake up. Their first glimpse of the slaughter made them scream, but Alice reassured them it was safe for now.

"We're getting out of here. A truck's in the next room." Jill and Steph nodded and found the truck. Alice assisted Rukia with carrying the bags.

"Who're you?" Rukia asked.

"Alice. You?"

"Rukia."

The introduction was kept short. Both felt that attachment would only disadvantage them in the long run. When the truck was fully loaded, Jill started the engine. Rukia sat in the front passenger seat. She would give directions. The others sat beside the dangerous weapons. Ichigo put up a plank of wood to act as a protective wall.

"Wait!" Karin jumped into the back cabin, beside her brother. She clutched a teddy bear to her chest. Ichigo gazed at it. "Yuzu got this for her fifth birthday, but she whinged that she didn't like the colour and she gave it to me. I never thought much of it but...It's all I have left to remember Yuzu..." She began to weep. Ichigo hugged her and rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

The garage door slid up and the truck pulled out slowly. After a quick scan of the area, it was decided it was safe. Rukia told Jill whether to turn left or right, pointing half the time even though there was no need.

The streets were almost empty...soon enough, they would be crammed full of bloodthirsty zombies. This calm before the storm was almost as terrifying as the battle to come.

*****

KARAKURA HOSPITAL

The Japanese man who was at the scene of the crash scratched his hair. He was stuck in the waiting room. A nurse wandered in, about to announce the next appointment. The man rose to his feet, anticipating his own name. She called out the name of some old woman. The man cursed and went to the bathroom. He washed his face in the mirror and stared at his face. His skin was paling and his pupils were dilated. He lifted the sleeve of his jacket and stared at the infected bite on his wrist. He could see bone past the pussy, grey muscle. He gritted his teeth as the pain intensified. It felt like a million knives were stabbing into the small wound. The feeling quickly spread around his body and he dropped to his knees. He was panting like a dog now. He coughed and fell to the floor. He began to hyperventilate. He was unable to talk, only grunt like a wild pig. His hands were ghostly white now. He clenched his fists and growled. He was hungry...very hungry...

As he walked past, people gave him disgusted glances. He ignored their stares and placed money into the vending machine. He bought a packet of chips and snatched it out of the tray. He tore the bag open with his teeth and then stuck his face into the packet, eating them like a creepy-looking Cookie Monster. When he finished, he ordered another packet...and another...and another...

No matter how much he ate, he was still hungry! He needed something bigger...like meat...

A nurse approached him cautiously, staring at the eight empty packets of chips on the floor. "Is everything alright sir?"

"Grrrrrr."

"What was that?" The nurse stepped closer to hear him properly, but there was nothing to hear. He never repeated himself. He slapped the nurse in the face so hard that she was thrown to the floor. Before she could say anything, he pounced on her. Digging his hands into her chest and pulling out her heart. Her lips foamed as her internal organs were removed and eaten before her eyes.

The waiting patients screamed, but the noise only brought his attention. He snarled and charged at the sick people.

*****

The truck stopped at the traffic lights. The engine hummed and the truck vibrated.

"We're nearly there. The school's only three blocks away." Rukia said.

"What's that sign say?" Jill pointed to a street sign with an arrow pointing to the left.

"It says...hospital." Rukia read aloud.

"They wouldn't have travelled this far yet...we should be safe...oh no!" Alice glared at an undead man who stepped in front of a taxi. The vehicle swerved to avoid him, but another undead walked into the cab. The body flipped into the air and landed on another car, causing the driver to spin out and crash into a telegraph pole. A car parked near the first zombie, stuck at the lights, honked the horn. The zombie stared at them and walked over to the driver's window.

"Shit! Drive!! Drive!!" Alice commanded. The truck revved it's engine and began to lurch across the road, but the driver of the other car, who was now being attacked accidentally hit the accelerator. His car drove off at full speed, slamming into the side of the truck. The back door opened and the weapons spilled out onto the street. The truck rolled and those inside fell into each other. The zombie died in the crash, but the damage was done. The group of survivors would now have to make their way to safety on foot.

Three blocks on foot?! With zombies out there?! It's insane!! Will they make it to the safety of the school? Or will they perish in the cold streets, to be slowly eaten by hungry undead people? Find out in the next chapter!!

Please review!! If you don't, you will get the virus!!


	7. Walk Among The Rotten

**Walk Among The Rotten**

The truck rolled, throwing it's occupants about inside. Thankfully, the temporary wall prevented the weapons from mixing into the crowd, although it did nothing to stop the supplies from spilling out like the guts of a mechanical creature.

The group crawled out, remarkably unscathed. There were small scratches, but nothing serious. Karin grasped her teddy bear and looked around at the sluggishly moving crowd. The dead were dragging themselves out of their mangled cars. Regular people got out to inspect the damage, only to succumb to the growing horde of zombies.

Ichigo picked up as many weapons he could. Alice and Jill helped. Steph and Rukia loaded food back into the bags, regardless of whether it has touched the dirt. Karin was paralysed, her wide eyes focused on the approaching crowd.

"Ichi...they...they can see us!"

"I know! We're going as fast as we can!" Ichigo silenced her as he hooked the handle of a chainsaw over his shoulder.

"They are...coming for us..." Karin whispered.

"Don't worry, we'll get away." Ichigo reassured her.

"We'll be trapped if we don't move now." She muttered, strangely calm.

"We won't be trapped! I promise Karin...Karin?" Ichigo looked up from his salvaging and scanned the area. He only just made out Karin's small frame as she darted down the narrow streets, past the undead horde which was encircling them now.

"Ichigo, your sister just..." Rukia didn't finish the sentence.

"We're going to have to fight!" Alice unstrapped her shot gun and shot down four zombies with one cartridge. "Grab a weapon and kill as many as possible!!" Alice hurled a machine gun to Rukia. Ichigo, Steph and Jill all had pistols ready. The sound of gunfire attracted more of the dim-witted flesh-eaters.

"Make a path!!! We need to get out of here!!" Alice blew a wide hole in their ranks and made a small advance before the hole was filled with more human fodder.

Rukia mowed down the front line and the trio of Pistol wielders took down the next row. Alice followed up with another devastating blast from her shotgun and they moved forward again. The progress was slow, and the sea of rotted faces behind them grew with each advancing step.

"Don't give up!! We can beat them!!!" Alice roared as she loaded fresh cartridges into the large barrel of her weapon. The gun would not shoot and out of frustration, she took out her sword. She charged through the wall of former people and gave herself some room; she then swung the blade in a full circle, taking down a full dozen of them in one fatal sweep. The others stepped into the path made and she repeated the move three more times. By then, they were exhausted and they had only made a distance of one block.

"I need ammo!!" Rukia screamed. Two zombies clawed at her and she frantically pistol whipped them into moving back. Ichigo then filled their skulls with lead.

"Get down!!" It was an unfamiliar voice. Everyone ignored it, but it came back, louder than before. "GET THE FUCK DOWN!!" This time, everyone dropped to their knees and covered their head protectively. A loud explosion temporarily deafened them. A blinding flash hurt their eyes and the dazed group rose back to their feet to see a sea of orange tongues, licking away the rotted flesh of the zombies in front of them.

Jill sniffed the air. "That was a petrol bomb!"

"There are survivors nearby!" Rukia beamed, but the happiness was short lasting. The distraction was over, the zombies were returning to their original target. Alice shrieked like an Amazon and lanced her way through the next wave. She hacked a large group of undead warriors into mutilated pieces and then waved for the others to follow. The fire had stopped any more form getting in front of them, but also stopped their progress.

"They've trapped us! We can't get to the school now!" Ichigo roared. It seems the survivors heard him, as thy opened the door to a nearby pub. The small group filed in and the door was abruptly slammed shut behind them. A man with slight stubble and short brown hair took out an AK-47 and unleashed several bursts into the oncoming zombies. He wore an army uniform of sorts.

"Who are you?!" Rukia asked. The man said nothing, but the voice from before did.

"Don't you recognise my voice?" A girl with spiky black hair strolled in, holding an unlit petrol bomb.

"Tatsuke!!" Ichigo ran up and hugged her.

"Whoa?! What happened to you?!"

"You're alive!!" Ichigo whispered.

"They have only been attacking for about an hour. I gathered a few friends and we decided to hide somewhere safe. We're stopping off here, but eventually we'll have to leave."

"Who are the others?" Ichigo asked, pointing to the man who let them in.

"That's Carlos. He arrived in one of those planes from America. Everyone was killed, except for him."

"Is it just you two?" Rukia looked around at the empty room.

"No. Chad and Uryu are upstairs. Orihime is in here somewhere, but she's hiding. Poor girl, I've never seen her freaked out before..." Tatsuke wrinkled her nose at her guests. "One of you smells like blood."

The whole group raised their hands as one. A nervous laugh spread through them.

"Hey Ichigo." Chad burst into the room. He looked like a Mexican Rambo with an assault rifle in each hand and a red headband around his curly brown hair. His shirt was torn revealing muscles stronger than steel.

"Did you rip the shirt for theatrical purposes?" Ichigo said jokingly.

"No, those people outside, their claws sliced through it like butter."

"They have claws?" Ichigo cocked his head.

"One of them does. I think the virus is already mutating..." Chad opened a window and fired non-stop for twenty seconds. At least fifty of the undead are killed in the attack and the others retreat for a while. They are stupid, but even they know when a battle is lost.

"We should move now." Chad frowns. It feels wrong to be killing them. They are still people..."

"No, they aren't. The virus changes them into animals, wild animals! They aren't worth your sympathy!" Alice growls coldly. Chad fell silent and the two teams united. Uryu came down the stairs and chuckled.

"Nice move Chad! You sent them back with their tails between their legs!" Ishida adjusted his glasses and studied the new arrivals. "Who are they?"

"Alice, Stephanie and I'm Jill. Good enough for ya?" Jill asked sarcastically. She walked past him and the others followed.

"Where's Orihime?" Tatsuke called out her name several times and heard a sound much like a dog whimpering. She opened the door of a cupboard and Orihime fell out. Her shirt is white in some places and a dark red in others. She frowned at the group.

"Are they gone?"

"For now. Come on!" Tatsuke helped her to her feet and the group jogged outside. The sky was black and the moon was full.

"Werewolves better not show up as well!" Ichigo muttered. A small laugh came from Orihime, but no-one spoke.

"It looks like they were cut off by the fire." Alice remarked, impressed by Tatsuke's plan. "Hopefully it will bide us enough time to get to the school."

"What about Karin? She ran off on us!!" Ichigo yelled.

"She's probably gone to the school. She knew where we were going." Rukia reassured him. "Now let's go while they can't follow us."

"!!" One moronic undead fell out of the fire and crawled after them. He stops moving shortly after.

"Fuck...I was worried for a second there-" Tatsuke silences herself when ten more follow. This time, only one fell down and died, the others remain standing, ignoring the flames that were eating away at their gangrenous flesh.

"Shit! Kill them!!" Jill whipped out her dual pistols and deftly shot them down.

"Let's just run for it!" Tatsuke ran ahead before she finished the sentence, everyone else followed. Jill took up the rear and shot at the zombies who were not afraid of fire.

"How far is it?!" Carlos asked, scanning the area.

"One more block. It's just across the road behind those cafe shops." Tatsuke pointed to two small coffee shops at the other side of the road. No cars were out so they crossed without looking. The coffee shop was empty. Not even the employee's were present.

"Why are the streets so quiet?" Rukia asked. These zombies have only been around here for an hour.

"Wrong." Carlos replied. "My plane came yesterday. A whole family had been infected, but only turned when they got to this neighbourhood. The group had split up by then. I only found one of them; the others ran off and started spreading their foul illness!" Carlos looked to the ground and sighed. "We must keep moving."

As they turned the corner, the loud rumbling of a crowd of zombies could be heard. The hid behind a dumpster and stared at the ocean of rotting corpses which stood between them and the school.

"Shit! How do we get past?!" Ichigo turned back to the others.

Alice spotted the chainsaw and smiled. "I have an idea!" She took it from Ichigo and started up the engine. It roared like a demon from hell and the motionless blades moved with amazing speed giving the illusion of a flat edge. Alice groaned as she lifted the weapon higher. The zombies were aware of them now. "Someone use the hedge trimmers and we'll make a path through this 'hedge maze'!" Chad shrugged and started up the hedge trimmer. The spines slid along with a loud rasp and the thin blade shook fervently. The two armed survivors charged, both bellowing out battle cries fit for a movie.

The plan was working..._was!_

A large chunk had been dug out of the lines of zombies and the terrified group rushed through, only to be surrounded. The front gate was no longer in sight; it was all just hideously malformed faces with pin-point eyes.

Tatsuke snatched Chad's assault rifles and unleashed twin bursts into the hungry crowd. The muzzle flash blinded her and she tripped over. Ichigo called out her name and reached for her outstretched hand. With a grunt of effort, he dragged her closer to him.

"Ichigo?! Tatsuke?! Where are you?!" I was Rukia's voice.

"I'm close! Don't give up Rukia!! I'll be there in a sec-"

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!!!" Rukia's scream makes the group wince. Chad cut his way over to her and lifted her to her feet. She had claw marks on her cheek which seeped blood.

"Is she bitten?!" Ichigo cried as he head butted a zombie and then put a bullet through it's mouth and out the other side of it's head. It's brain matter sprayed onto it's comrades who growled ravenously. Some of them stopped to pick at the scraps clinging to them. The distraction gives the group a chance to reunite.

Tatsuke was crawling on her knees, shooting out the legs of the crowd. It does not kill them, but slows them down considerably. She rose to her feet and made a gap between the rear flank of their group and the first line of zombies.

"I'm at the gate!" Uryu yelled out. "Someone cover me!!" He's strayed from the others and none can reach him in time. He cries out in agony as they shove him to the ground and eat.

"Uryu!!" Chad burrowed into the mass of the undead and discovered a few of them tucking into his friend. One of the zombies looked up from his work and snarled. His hands were wrapped around Ishida's small intestine. Some of it is hanging out of his mouth like a large noodle.

"YOU MONSTERS!!!" Chad cut them down, but one zombie ran off with Uryu's severed head. The bones of his neck rattle as they flap about. The horrible display defeats the giant. Chad collapsed to his knees and wept. The zombies lunged for him, but he punches them out of the way. They just keep coming back and soon enough, the mighty giant is slain.

Everything is going downhill. Two of the group are dead, one missing and the others are stranded in a seething mass of teeth and pale, decayed flesh. Alice screamed at the heavens and ran for the gate, her chainsaw held out in front of her body. She doesn't stop at the gate, instead trying to cut it down. The blade whined as it tried to carve through the large bolt lock on the gate. Jill and Steph covered her while the others made their way to them.

With a loud crash, the lock broke and the gate swung open. While they waited for the Karakura survivors to get through, some zombies breached the gate. They only managed a few steps before being shot down. When they all got inside, they slammed the gate shut and ran for the nearest building.

They had made it to the school! But now the hard part began...surviving the siege!

There are only eight left, excluding Karin, who has myteriously dissapeared...Can they survive, or will the growing army of undead souls have a feast with their corpses? Find out in the next action-packed chapter!!

Please review!


	8. Trapped

**Trapped**

The front office was silent, deader than the hungry creatures outside. The lights were all off, covering most of the room in darkness. The group fumbled around the walls for a light switch, eventually flooding the room in light.

Orihime sank into the corner, grasping the sides of her head, her eyes wider than ever before. "Chad...Uryu...They're both..."

"Dead." Tatsuke confirmed, answering in a cold voice which made Orihime cry. "I'm sorry, Hime, but there was nothing we could do."

"They gave their lives to help us." Jill sat down next to the girl she'd only just met. She turned to the others. "I'll keep her calm, I want you...um...Carlos wasn't it?" The man nodded. "I want you to set up a sentry watch on the second floor, find a spot with a good view. Alice and Steph, try and find walkie talkies or radios or anything we can use to communicate. Fire-face-"

"Ichigo." The boy grunted.

"Yeah, whatever, find the canteen, see if there's anything we can use, whether it's weapons or food. Take that girl with you. And new chick?"

Tatsuke frowned. "What should I do?"

"Assign everyone a weapon." Jill's face darkened. "We all need to be armed and ready for an attack. We don't know how long that fence will last!"

Tatsuke stared at the assembled killing implements left on the floor. They had lost some of the bladed weapons after Chad was killed. Jill threw in one of her two pistols, keeping the other close. Tatsuke kept the discarded pistol for herself. She then handed the heavy assault rifle to Ichigo. Rukia was handed a submachine-gun and Steph was handed an automatic pistol.

The bladed weapons were left in the office and everyone set off on their tasks. Tatsuke watched her friend struggle with her fears. She could barely stand to look at Orihime when she was so terrified.

"I'll...go find some comfy seats. There are a few in the library."

"Ok, but don't stray too far, we can't communicate yet."

"You're pretty good under pressure...were you ever in the army?" Tatsuke stared at the foreign woman, armed to the teeth.

"Ex-S.T.A.R.S soldier." Jill said proudly. Tatsuke had no idea what the organisation was, but ended the conversation there, jogging off to find a distraction.

*****

KARAKURA HOSPITAL

The black guard from the plane bolted upright in his bed. He could hear screaming. His gun was right beside the bed. He snatched it and loaded a fresh clip into the shiny fire-arm. He slipped out of the flimsy hospital gown and into his guard's uniform. He then snuck out into the hall. The floor was soaked in blood. Puddles of it were everywhere...but the bodies were gone!

"Shit!" He muttered. Footsteps came from behind and he whirled about and fired blindly.

"Whoa! Don't shoot!! I'm not infected!!"

The guard lowered his weapon and squinted at the man approaching from down the hall. "What's your name boy?"

"I'm not a boy!" The man replied angrily. "My names Frank."

"Buck. Buck Walter." The black man stretched his hand out to shake. The thin man shook weakly. He was thin and his skin pale, but he was not bitten.

"I came in here with a stomach virus...that's why I look like shit, but I haven't got what everyone else has. It must be an epidemic or something!"

"It's way worse than that. These fuckers are the undead!" Buck sighed and turned around. An old lady with rotten flesh and blank eyes was shuffling towards them. Buck fired one shot, clipping her just next to her nose. She was thrown backwards and never got up again.

"Un...dead?" Frank asked fearfully.

"Yep. It started over in the Us, Raccoon City. We sent out planes full of clean survivors, but my flight was tainted. One of them crept into the cargo bay, hid there until we were over Japan and then attacked. I don't know how many died...but I doubt any of them are here."

"Damn...that must have been hell for you!"

"I've been there many times brother-"

"!!"

"But, this may be the last time..." Buck aimed at the source of the sound, a bolted steel door labelled: 'morgue'.

*****

Outside, a lone zombie shuffled around, stopping by a large brick wall. There was an open gate nearby. A huge sign read: 'Karakura zoo'. The zombie gurgled and blood and drool pooled around his decayed lips. He limped through the gate and studied the area inside. He walked around aimlessly for quite some time, finally stopping outside a glass-walled enclosure. Inside were large furry animals with orange and black fur. Their feline eyes glared at him, and he did the same gesture back at them.

"Urrrrrggghhhh." He slapped the glass wall. Nothing happened, so he repeated the move, only harder. He kept striking it, until he was punching as hard as he could, making his knuckles crack and bleed. Eventually, the wall caved in. The huge cats pounced on him, but he managed to sink his teeth into the feline's leg before it tore off his head.

The big cats then prowled the other enclosures...searching for prey.

*****

Tatsuke watched the clouds as they passed over the moon. The sky was a dark blue, not yet black. She sighed. This whole situation was just crazy. The dead were coming back to life; her friends had been killed and torn apart before her eyes. Now she was trapped at school armed with a weapon intended for military use, a swarm of rabid zombies stopping her from escaping. She gazed at the library, a bland brick building seperated from the rest of the school. Most of the classrooms were joined together into one giant structure, but the library was its own separate building. The bricks looked grey in the moonlight.

She walked slowly up to it, peering through the glass windows at the shelves stacked full of books. She pushed the door open, surprised that it was not locked. She looked around at the empty room. She discovered a circle of comfy chairs with padding and a blue leather cover. She stacked three of them on top of each other and then carried them to the door. Something made her stop. She dropped the chairs and wandered around the library, stopping at the occult section. She found a book on zombies and tucked it under one arm as she hefted the chairs back to their base of operations, aka the front office.

As she crossed between the buildings she noticed the horrible stench of the rotting undead. It was strong at a distance, but up close it was nauseating. She could see them banging their fists on the fence, their hungry blank eyes focused on her. She sped up and dropped them off at the door that led to the classrooms. She reached for the handle when she heard something rustling in the garden near the fence.

_Something just got in!_

She turned slowly and watched the bushes sway as something moved about within. Tatsuke reached for the gun and pointed it at the garden.

A pained moan came from whatever was in there. Tatsuke felt sick listening to it. She had to kill it and end this as fast as possible. The loaded weapon clicked and she steadied her aim, lining up a shot with the shadow that had crawled out of the bushes. It was small, but the moaning was a distinct thing the zombies did. Anyway, what else could it be?

Her finger tightened on the trigger and she drew it back. In a matter of seconds, a bullet would be fired and the intruder would be dead. All Tatsuke had to do was pull the trigger back another millimetre...

"Please...Help..."

Tatsuke jerked the gun aside as she fired so as not to hit the young girl. She lowered the weapon and squinted through the darkness. "Is that..."

"Please don't shoot. I'm not infected...I'm-ow!" The girl limped closer and she passed under a light, revealing her identity.

"Karin?!" Tatsuke ran to the girl and kneeled down to check her for bites. "Did they bite you?!" She asked.

"I don't know...it hurts!" Karin wiped a tear from her eye. One hand was holding a teddy bear which was somehow clean and unscathed. Her other hand was lacerated and soaked in crimson fluid. There were cuts all over the poor girl's body. She was losing quite a lot of blood. Tatsuke's eyes widened at the sudden realisation of why she was cut so badly.

_She...she climbed over the barbed wire fence! _

"Karin, don't worry, it's gonna be okay. We'll get you fixed up and we can sit down and relax for a while, okay?" Tatsuke forced a smile and led the bloodied girl inside.

_I almost shot Ichigo's sister...I wonder where Yuzu is?_

"It hurts..." Karin whispered again. She dropped to her knees and began sobbing. Tatsuke stared at the large wound on her back. It was a series of large jagged gashes which resembled claw marks...but nothing remotely human could do that!

"What...what happened to you?!" Tatsuke's gaze stayed focused on the nasty looking wounds.

"I was trying to get in...I climbed the fence. I was at the top...but something hit me and knocked me back down..." Karin looked at the teddy bear and hugged it close to her lacerated chest. "I was hiding in a dumpster for a while...then I climbed back up the fence."

Tatsuke nodded as she studied the shambling masses outside. Nothing appeared to have the power to inflict such wounds...

"Let's get inside, okay?" Tatsuke opened the door and the small girl limped in first. They slowly made their way back to the office where Jill and Orihime were waiting. Both had terrified expression when their weary eyes fell on the scarred little girl who was leaving a path of blood behind her as she moved.

"Oh my god!! Is she okay?!" Orihime's hands began to shake. She summoned her Shun Shun Rikka, but their powers only healed a few of the wounds. The claw marks did not change. Orihime's mouth was quivering as if she could not believe her own words. "Its...it's not working! I can't reject this wound!!"

Jill was still dumbfounded. She had come across many strange things in her time with the S.T.A.R.S, but this was not one of them. "How did you do that?!"

"It's a long story...we don't have time right now!" Orihime and Tatsuke bandaged up the wound after first disinfecting it. Karin whimpered as the treatment went on, but she managed to refrain from crying.

"So...we got one more friend..." Jill sat back against the wall and sighed. "We're totally fucked. They've probably taken over the whole city by now!"

The door behind them opened and Alice and Steph returned with some radios. There were only four of them.

"Okay. I'll take one, this will be the base. Alice will take one, so will Carlos and Ichigo, when he comes back. We'll make contact every ten minutes, so we'll know if anyone gets killed, ok?" Jill took one and then handed another to Tatsuke. "Runner girl-"

"It's Tatsuke!"

"Whatever, just hand this to Carlos and tell him to contact us every ten mins, alright?" Jill smiled sweetly.

Tatsuke took it and jogged off.

*****

KARAKURA ZOO

An infected gorilla scratched at the scabby pustules that were coming out of its skin. They bled a disgusting mixture of pus and blood. The once mighty beast was now rotting. His body was mutating into something horrible. His eyes were larger and his teeth sharpened. His fingernails were three times longer and sharp at the tip. His knuckled were ridden with pussy tumours that would burst spontaneously every now and then. His skin was turning grey and it flaked off quite often. His muscles were getting bigger. He no longer looked like a relative of man; he now looked like something from a horror movie.

One of his tumours was stinging. It usually meant it would burst soon. Unable to withstand the pain, the gorilla gnawed at the ping-pong-ball sized growth and it burst quickly. The foul fluid oozed out all over his large hand.

A mosquito landed on him and sucked at the fluid. He swatted it away and roared, beating his chest with his malformed hands.

It seems the virus has spread amongst the animal kindom and it is mutating it's victims...how will our brave survivors manage to make it out alive now? 

Please review! I'm sorry chapters are taking a while to come out, but I'm writing about eight stories at once. Be patient, while you wait, write a review.


	9. Pest Problem

**Pest Problem**

Sorry it's been a while since the last update. I've been finishing my other stories, I probably shouldn't have tried to write so many at once, but never mind. I hope you enjoy it. Please review!!

Ichigo and Rukia took out all the food from the canteen, putting it in bags and boxes and piling them up at the door. The room looked bare after they had cleaned through it. They couldn't take everything at once, so they would have to come back several times. The couple took the first load of food and groaned as they carried the heavy boxes back to their camp.

Halfway there Ichigo dropped his boxes and swiped at a flying insect that neared his face.

"What is it?!" Rukia asked n a panic.

"Don't worry, it's only a mosquito...it was just pissing me off! Come on, it's gone off somewhere else now."

The two survivors walked quietly through the darkened corridors. They took the liberty of switching each one on as they passed, so as to light their path for the next trip. The couple found their way back to the office. Everyone was there except Tatsuke and Carlos, but there was another person, wrapped in bandages and hugging a little teddy bear.

"What the...? Is that...Karin?" Ichigo frowned at his wounded sister. "You're alive!!" Ichigo attempted to hug her, but Karin shied away.

"Don't!! It hurts!!" She shrieked.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"She's got a large series of claw-marks on her back, it'd be best to just leave her for a while. Tatsuke said she climbed over the barbed wire fence...poor girl." Jill turned around and held up a black metallic block. On closer inspection, Ichigo realised what it was. "It's a radio. You and Rukia have to share it. Contact us every ten minutes, alright?"

"Sure." Ichigo placed the radio on his belt. It was cumbersome, but it held. He ignored it and sat beside his sister. "Karin...what happened to you? Were you bitten?"

"Why? Do you want to shoot me too?" Karin scowled. The words stung like poison and Ichigo had to resist the urge to cry.

"No. I'm worried. You're all I have left and I want to protect you!" Ichigo brushed a hand through her hair and smiled weakly. "I won't let you die!"

"But...I...I don't know if I can trust you..." Karin whispered as tears trickled down her cheeks.

"I promise! I won't hurt you!" Ichigo stared at his sister's fearful expression.

#We have guests!# Carlos Olivieras voice came through over the speakers with a backup of static.

"Where are they?" Jill asked, yelling into her radio.

#Western side of the school, we have about four of them.#

"Have you got a clear shot?"

#I think so. I'll try and take 'em down.# The rattle of gunfire came through the speakers and then Carlos' laughter. #That was too easy!#

"Geez, I was worried for a second there-" Jill was interrupted by Carlos' gasp.

#Shit! One of them is missing! He must have gone inside! I repeat! One of them is missing!!#

Everyone shared concerned gazes. "Are you sure?!" Jill roared into the radio.

#He's Gone!!#

"Crap! Everyone, arm yourself and stay close!" Jill took up her trusty pistol and headed over to the western wing of the school. It eventually would lead to the canteen, but there was an entrance about halfway there which could be where the zombie had gone. Jill crept slowly across the linoleum floor, a few others followed.

Alice, Steph and Tatsuke all followed the leader to a large open space. The zombie was in plain sight, but he was dead.

"What the...?"

"He's torn in half!!" Steph covered her mouth. A white thread like substance was wrapped around the bifurcated creature.

"Argh! A spider web!" Tatsuke jumped away from a large web that covered a whole wall. Tatsuke turned away and faced the others. "God, I hate spiders worse than I hate these zombies!" A black spindly leg crawled down the web from the roof. "I mean the undead are scary and gross but spiders are just eww!" Tatsuke continued talking, oblivious to the four long bristly legs which dangled down behind her. Even the rest of the group failed to take notice until the legs dashed forward and dragged down the hideously deformed arachnid.

"Tatsuke!!!" Alice tried to get her friend out of the way, but the creature began to wrap Tatsuke in thick white threads. She screamed as she stared into the huge, blank eyes of the spider. It was the size of a cow, with legs as long as a car. Its fangs were as big as ram's horns and its eight beady eyes could have passed as billiard balls.

A foamy substance spewed from its circular mouth and it screeched as it wrapped up its prey.

"KILL IT!!" Tatsuke shrieked as the legs prodded her and poked her.

Alice hacked at one of the legs but its exoskeleton was as hard as steel. She cursed hacked madly at it with her sword.

Jill fired point blank into its abdomen, but the bullets merely dented its thick hide. The creature hissed and pounced. It crashed into Jill and knocked her flat on the floor. Its foamy spit landed beside her head and steam rose from the area where it began to erode the floor. Jill fumbled around for her gun, but realised she had dropped it when she was knocked down.

Steph closed her eyes and fired blindly, barely even hitting the creature.

"HELP!!!" Tatsuke screamed, struggling in vain to escape her woven prison.

Footsteps from up the hall could be heard, the others were coming.

"Hurry!! Kill it!!" Jill roared as the creature bent down on its spindly legs. Its abominable face was so close she could see her reflection in its eight eyes. It made a strange noise almost like laughter as it drew its face ever closer.

"What the fuck is that?!"

"It's a spider!!! Jesus Christ it's huge!!"

The car-sized bug turned its head towards the visitors. It screeched at its foes and swiped one long leg at them.

"Its skin is practically impenetrable! We can't get through it, but we need to hurry before it kills them!" Alice informed Ichigo and the rest of the reinforcements.

"Stop standing there and help me!!!" Jill yelled at the top of her lungs.

Ichigo aimed the barrel of his assault rifle at the monstrous face. It screamed as if to challenge him. Ichigo looked down the sights and lined up a shot. He pulled the trigger and the muzzle exploded in a burst of bright light. Ichigo almost stumbled from the recoil as the powerful bullets tore into the creatures face. At first it seemed to have no effect, but one shot landed in the spider's eye. The black orb burst in a spray of thick green soup.

"Take the eyes!" Ichigo commanded and the group all shot at the beasts blank eyes. The spider screeched and jumped up onto the roof after losing three of its sight organs. "Don't let it escape!!" Ichigo roared. He ran after the creature, but it was unimaginably fast for something of its size. It blended into the darkness and was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Shit!" Ichigo scanned the area. "We can't rest with that thing crawling about. We need to find it!"

"Get me out of this!!" Tatsuke interrupted, rolling about on the floor, still wrapped in the spider's thick webbing. Alice and Steph tore at the strands, but struggled to get through the thick layers.

"We shouldn't stay here. Bring her back to the office and we'll take care of her there." Ichigo jogged off, training his gun on the roof, afraid their pest problem would return.

When they returned, everyone picked at the web. Tatsuke squirmed at the sensation of so many hands touching her. She stayed in the state of discomfort for ten minutes until it had been cleared away enough for her to force her way out. When she was able to move her hands, she picked at it herself.

"How the hell did that thing grow so big?" Rukia asked fearfully.

"I don't know, but it must be similar to how the dead are returning to life." Alice used a sharpening stone to fix her sword which had been blunted against the spider's thick skin.

"What exactly was that virus? I've had the flu before and it never did anything like this!" Tatsuke interrogated Jill, as if she knew.

"Look, I think I have an idea, but I'm not 100% on it." Everyone stared at Jill. "In my time in the S.T.A.R.S I've come across many weird people and organisations but...The Umbrella Corporation was one of the worst. They specialised in genetic research and we once had to find someone who had stolen confidential documents. When we found the culprit we read through the files and we all couldn't sleep at night. The experiments they did were just plain wrong. They would abduct orphans and old people and use them as guinea pigs for their sick plans. They branched into virology, trying to cure some of the world's most aggressive illnesses."

Everyone fell silent and gazed at the saddened expression on Jill's face.

"They were in trouble for a few of their leaked experiments, but no-one had the power or the guts to try and shut them down. The corporation continued to branch out and gain power until it was nearly as influential as the government. They built several huge underground labs in the US and a few other nations. Before I quit the S.T.A.R.S, I heard about a new product in development at their labs...If my hunch is correct, then it's probably whatever they were trying to create that caused all of this, though that rumour was from a few months ago..."

"So, what kind of product could possibly do this?" Steph asked.

"Well, for years they have tried to reverse ageing and weird stuff like that...I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to reverse death." Jill brushed a hand through her black hair and sighed. "Whoever is responsible, it doesn't matter. We're in deep shit either way."

Ichigo took out his radio. "Carlos, how are you holding up?"

#Good. What the hell was all that commotion?#

"Well, we ran into a little surprise...watch your back Carlos, seriously."

#Will do!#

Ichigo sighed. "So...we wait for that bug to come back, we kill it and then sleep, sound like a good plan?"

"Fine by me." Rukia muttered. The others nodded in agreement.

#Hey...I hear something!#

"What?" Jill snatched the radio from Ichigo.

#It's like...I don't know what it's like! But I hear something!#

"Carlos...stay calm, we'll come and assist you if you need it." Jill said reassuringly.

#WHAT THE FUCK?!!# The sound of gunfire followed, accompanied by yelling.

"Carlos?! Carlos are you there?!" Jill screamed into the radio.

#DIE!!!#

"CARLOS!!! ANSWER ME!!!"

#AAAGHH GET IT OFF!!! GET IT OFF!!!#

"Somebody go up there!!" Jill commanded. Ichigo and Rukia ran up the stairs. Jill returned to the radio which was now silent. "Carlos? Are you okay? What happened?"

A loud cough came through from the other end.

"Carlos? Are you still there?" Jill waited for a minute before asking again. Tense silence continued. Everyone shared uneasy glances. "Carlos, it's me Jill. Pick up if you can hear me! I repeat, pick up if you can hear me!"

A loud scraping noise came through the speakers.

"Are you okay?"

#I...I...I'm...# Carlos stuttered, his voice sounded different, slightly deeper than usual.

"Are you hurt? Ichigo and Rukia are on their way, just stay where you are!"

#Hungry...#

"What?" Jill asked. Her eyes went wide. "Carlos...I...I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?"

#Hungry!# He rasped.

Jill froze. "Um..." Jill looked to the others for advice.

#Hungry! Hungry!! Hungry!! HUNGRY!!!# He repeated himself, screaming the word over and over getting louder and angrier with each time. He began to sound like a wild animal. #Grraaghhh#

Jill gasped. She stared at the radio and switched frequencies. "Ichigo!! Ichigo, do you copy?!"

#Yeah. What's wrong? We're just outside the door now. I can see Carlos through the window.#

"Ichigo! Get out of there!!" Jill screamed hysterically.

#Wait! Carlos is having a seizure! I have to help him!# Ichigo must have opened the door, judging from the loud creaking noise.

"Don't go near him!! Ichigo!!! Get out now!!!"

#Holy crap! Something got him good!# Ichigo muttered. #He's not bitten, but he's got some bad cuts.#

"Leave him!!!" Jill screamed.

#What is your problem?! Stop yelling! I'll bring him back down, we can't leave him. Rukia, you take his arms, I'll take the legs.#

"Ichigo, listen to me!! He's a-" Jill was interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream. A loud thump followed, then another scream, then a gunshot. Then more screams. "Ichigo?" Jill whispered, her throat clenched shut.

Another loud cough, then a slight noise, barely audible through the speakers.

Jill pressed her ear right to the speaker to hear it. Someone was sobbing.

#Jill!!# The cry was so loud it deafened her. She switched it to her other ear and replied.

"Yes?"

#I...I had to...I had to kill him!# Ichigo whimpered.

"It's okay Ichigo...did he hurt you?"

#Um...I...I can't tell! There's so much blood!# Ichigo was panicking.

"Ok, calm down...Come back down here and we'll take a look. You're going to be fine." Jill reassured. Ichigo agreed and then disconnected.

The eerie silence ensued for five minutes until they returned. The door opened slowly and Ichigo crept in, his body soaked in blood and gore. Rukia was cleaner, but not by much. Both had terrified expressions.

"What happened?!" Orihime asked, the first words she had spoken in some time.

"Carlos attacked us...Ichigo shot him..." Rukia explained quietly. She closed her eyes and frowned "Something bit him first...we have some unwanted guests."

Anyone reading who has arachnophobia? Well your nightmare is not yet over. The giant spider will be back! 

PLease review!!


	10. Escape Plan

**Escape Plan**

It's been a while since the last update and the last few chapters have been soley about Karakura town, so I have written this whole chapter for Soul Society to ease your minds. enjoy and review!

SEREITEI – FIRST SQUAD BARRACKS

The captains had split up a while ago. Some had gone off to fight the seemingly invincible enemy, others stayed behind, watching from the ramparts as the undead grew in number.

"We should be safe for the time being. It seems these ghouls have no recollection of how to do kido or Shunpo or release their swords...but we have only seen low-ranking shinigami." Shunsui placed a finger on his chin and lost himself in thought. "I hope Kenpachi is okay. He ran off to fight those things, but from what we've seen most of our weapons are useless against them..."

"We are missing several assistant captains and captains." Ukitake reported.

"How many?"

"Too many!" Ukitake yelled. "Kiyone and Sentauro are out there! I need to find them!"

"Calm down Ukitake-san. We should wait here for a while longer. Everyone knows that when there is an emergency we meet up at the first squads barracks. They are on their way here...I just know it!" Kyouraku placed a hand on his friends shoulder. The sentiment did not help in the terrible situation.

"I hope they are alright..."

*****

"Get back you vile creatures!!" Kommamura grabbed a ghoul by the head and crushed it in his powerful grip. Grey brain matter sifted through his fingers as he dropped the corpse. He then tore another in half like a phone book and hurled the two pieces at the oncoming beasts.

His loyal lieutenant stood by his side, using a regular tanto to fend off the undead. "What happened to these people?!"

"I don't know, but is irreversible! Our only option is to fight our way to safety. I'm sure there must be survivors at the first squad barracks, we will go there." Kommamura punched a zombie in the jaw so hard that his head caved in.

"We will have to go through third squad to get there." Iba looked ahead.

"That is good. If that squad is affected by this as well, there is at least no captain to stand before us..."

Iba drove his tanto through the empty eye-socket of a nearby ghoul. He then sent a red fireball into the next wave of them. The fire melted their flesh and knocked them all down. They ran past them and hurried on into the next zone.

Unfortunately for them, the fire did not kill the ghouls...As the flesh stripped from their bones, the creatures shakily returned to their feet and followed.

*****

Soi Fon hid behind a crate as a trio of undead warriors passed by in their unusual shuffling fashion. She scowled at the hideous creatures and then sank deeper into the shadows. She had tried to fight them, but Suzemabachi poison was worthless against even the weakest of these monsters.

_What do I do? I cannot fight them!_

Soi Fon peered out at the now empty corridor. A four was painted on the wall. Soi Fon's eyes narrowed.

_Fourth squad? I can check with Unohana and find out what has happened to these people! I can even find out how to kill them!_

Soi Fon crept out from behind the crate and flash stepped over to the corner that led into the Infirmary and barracks. She peeked around the corner and spotted thirty or more zombies shuffling around and banging on the door to the infirmary.

She slowly walked on her toes over to a large bin. She hid behind it and looked around nervously.

_How am I supposed to get in?! Those things are everywhere!!_

Soi Fon closed her eyes and calmed herself. She then stepped out into the open. Hundreds of blank, hungry eyes stared at her. She smiled shakily and spread her arms out while a fierce breeze blew around her arms and back. "Poison may be useless...but what about Shunko?" Soi Fon roared as she charged head on at the horde of zombies. The creatures roared as well, creating an unholy cacophony that could be heard all over Soul Society. She barrelled into the front row of the undead and a large explosion rocked the area. Nearby buildings shattered under the shockwave and the ghouls were torn apart. Soi Fon leaned against a cracked wall and studied the damage she had created. The beasts were in pieces...It had worked!

Something crawled up her leg. It felt like a spider. Soi Fon gasped and looked down only receive the shock of her life. It was no spider! A stray hand was crawling up her leg and now her body. She stared at the greyish hand. She tried to scream but the amputated hand lunged and grabbed her neck. She dropped to her knees and wheezed as her breath was taken away by her assailant. She used Suzemabachi to sever the finger and she then kicked the hand away. Without its fingers, the hand could not move. Soi Fon breathed raggedly as she stared at what had just attacked her.

A sickening groan came from her left. She turned to see a half torso with one arm and a head dragging itself towards her. She shrieked and ran in the opposite direction, only to have her leg caught by another legless ghoul. She kicked at him but he held on. She broke his hand by stomping on it, yet the creature continued to drag her down.

"Die!!" Soi Fon drove Suzemabachi through his forehead and deep into his brain. The ghoul gurgled but did not let go. Soi Fon screamed as she noticed dozens of mangled and mutilated creatures crawled towards her.

"Someone help me!!" Soi Fon pleaded, though she doubted anyone would arrive.

A white coat fluttered past her face and Si Fon felt relieved. The hand around her leg released and the creature withdrew.

"Thank you so much!" Soi Fon shouted excitedly. "I can't thank you enough-" The captain turned around to face Soi Fon and the second squad captain could barely recognise the face which had been mauled by something. A single eye oozed yellow pus while the empty socket bled a black substance. Foamy drool seeped out of the mouth which had been torn away so that the teeth were in full view. Black hair had become matted to the sticky, rotted flesh and a long, thick braid fell across the front of the blood-stained haori.

"U....Uno...Unohana?!" Soi Fon backed away slowly and the eye focused on her, a piercing glare that made her freeze.

Unohana's mouth opened and a gurgled growl came out. It made no sense but then she repeated it and a word became slightly recognisable. "Hungry..."

*****

Kiyone stumbled around dazed and terrified. She had just watched her friend Sentauro turn into some kind of monster. Sentauro was restraining a rabid man who was foaming at the mouth and barking like a dog. Sentauro got bitten by the freak and then a few minutes later he went crazy as well. He tried to bite her but she had to bludgeon him with a rock. She still had Sentauro's blood on her hands and uniform...

She needed to rest, but nowhere was safe...Or at least so far...

She wandered into the territory of the eighth squad and noticed a large pool of blood around the locked gate. She looked around nervously and crept closer and closer.

"There must be people inside..." Kiyone walked around the red sea and tapped lightly on the door. "Hello? Is anyone there? It's Kiyone Kotetsu from 13th squad! I am not infected! Please let me in? Please?!" No reply. Kiyone sighed and knocked again, louder this time.

Light footsteps made Kiyone jump up to her feet. She closed her eyes and wished for a normal shinigami to answer her call rather than a crazed beast. The footsteps were moving to a spot on the wall. They suddenly came from above...

Kiyone stepped back to study the top of the wall. She spotted a shinigami up on the ramparts. It was her sister, Isane. Kiyone waved and jumped around while calling out to her. Isane ran down to the gate and opened it. Kiyone tried to thank her but she was harshly pulled inside. The gate slammed shut behind her and Kiyone glared at her sister.

"What was that for?"

Her answer came when something slammed into the gate and began growling at them. Isane stared at her younger sister with cold eyes. "You have to be careful." She said blankly. "Those things seem to have excellent hearing and smell. They can find you wherever you go. Don't make loud noises and try not to get killed."

Kiyone nodded. "Is anyone else here?"

"No. Some lower ranking men tried to get in but there were too many of them...the monsters were everywhere! I...I couldn't do it1 I couldn't let them in!!"

Kiyone remembered the blood outside and shuddered. "What happened?!"

"According to Ukitake, they are infected by a virus that reanimates dead tissue. Somehow they are resistant to Shinigami powers and Zanpakuto. The only way to kill them is with regular weapons." Isane revealed her dagger and then swiftly put it back in her uniform.

"So, we just wait to be rescued?"

"That is all we can do. We can't take on so many armed with a little knife...also..." Isane wiped away tears.

"What's wrong?" Kiyone reached out to her sister who broke down and sobbed.

"Unohana-san is one of them now!! Even Izuru!" Isane sobbed loudly and the growls coming from the gate multiplied. Kiyone hugged her sister and watched nervously as the gate was rattled by the horde outside.

*****

Zaraki howled with rage as he hacked another zombie to death. He had been amazingly lucky. He had been lacerated and scratched all over, but no bites. This was getting fun now. Kenpachi laughed as the limbless cadaver of a formerly dead warrior rolled up to him with bared teeth. He drove his rusted sword through its skull and ended him. He knew his zanpakuto was pretty pointless around these creatures, but it was more fun to hack them into tiny bits before finishing them off with a regular sword. Zaraki wielded both blades, one in each hand and he went about his gruesome game for a while longer before he felt an unusual presence.

He spun around and studied the man who approached him. It was the blonde kid from third squad, Izuru Kira.

"What are you doing here?" Zaraki asked, enraged. "This is my spot, go somewhere else!" Izuru made no reply. Kenpachi scratched his head. "What's wrong with you? Are you retarded? I said piss off!"

Izuru held up his Zanpakuto. It was not released.

"Oh, you want to fight me huh?" Zaraki grinned and butchered the last two zombies around him before assuming a lazy battle stance. "Okay, let's have some fun!"

Izuru opened his mouth and blood poured out. Zaraki faltered for a second and stared dumbfounded at the red drool.

"What the...?" Kenpachi looked into his opponents eyes and noticed they were blank like those of the undead. "Ah, you're one of them! Ha ha ha! That mean's I have to kill you now! Come!"

Izuru took a sluggish step forward, then another.

"Come on grandma! Hurry up and come get me!"

Izuru groaned and then disappeared. Zaraki's eyes widened and blood suddenly spurted out from his shoulder. He stared at the ghoul who just managed to use Shunpo.

"What?! I thought you bastards didn't know how to do that?!" Kenpachi swiped at the ghoulish Izuru who jumped back to a safe area. "Dammit! That stings a bit! I'm gonna get you for that!" Kenpachi rushed forward and Izuru held out his sword defensively. "Die you-"

"Raise your head...Wabisuke." Izuru's grinned with rotten black teeth as his sword morphed into a square hook.

Zaraki grinned. "This will be interesting!"

*****

The captain commander studied the ruins of Sereitei. He then studied his assembled army. There were only five captains and a few assistant captains. The withered old man closed his eyes and took in the gravity of the situation.

"Soul Society has been lost...Our proud forces have been reduced to a mass of shambling ghouls...there is nothing left for us here..." The ancient warrior rose to his feet and strolled out onto a balcony over his assembled forces. The lower ranking shinigami were told to return to their duties guarding the walls and he then instructed all captain-class officers to meet inside.

He met his team of survivors and frowned. His grey beard sagged down to the floor and his wrinkled and scarred face revealed a story of many wars fought by this brave man, though this battle would be one that even the great Yammamoto Genryusai Shigekuni could not fight.

"We of the Gotei 13 have faced many foes. We have defeated many but we have had many casualties as well. Our greatest casualty has been taken today...That casualty...Is Soul Society itself."

Everyone gasped in shock. Genryusai waited for it to sink in before going on. "I am proposing that we, the elite of the survivors shall flee from this world and start anew."

"What?!" Ukitake roared. You mean you are just going to abandon everyone else out there?"

"Exactly. This enemy is too advanced for even us to defeat. We must go elsewhere until the troubles are over." The weathered old soldier bowed his head. "It is a difficult decision but I have made my decision. You can stay behind if you wish, but only death awaits you here. Those with any sense and pride will join me and we shall gather a new army and avenge the fallen at a better time."

Ukitake snarled at his superior and shook his head. "I will not go! I shall stay here and defend this place to the very end!"

"As you wish. Does anyone else want to stay here?" The captains all looked at each other and stood down. Ukitake gasped.

"Why? Why would you betray your friends like this? What about the missing officers? What about the captains?!"

Everyone fell silent as Yammamoto's cane slammed into the ground. "Silence!" He growled. Everyone obeyed his order. "We shall depart in twenty minutes. Be sure that you are prepared by then. We shall meet back here. You are dismissed." The captains rose slowly and began to leave. "Ukitake?"

Jushiro turned back to face his commander. He looked into the narrow eyes of the old man and frowned. "What is it?"

"Thank you." The old man muttered. Ukitake nearly collapsed. "You have made me proud. You were like a son to me and you have grown into a true warrior. Our paths may never cross again but I am still proud of your decision. I always thought you would be the one to fall bravely in battle. I salute you and wish you good luck."

Ukitake smiled. "Good luck commander."

"May you survive this ordeal and join us again." Yammamoto rose from his position and moved over to the balcony again. He studied the fires burning on the skyline. "I am hereby giving you the position of Captain Commander, congratulations."

Ukitake merely stared at his superior.

"I am leaving Soul Society behind, and so I must abandon my title as well. As you are the proud defender of this place, I give it to you. Command as you see fit."

"Thank you." Ukitake whispered, stunned.

"Farewell Ukitake." Genryusai clicked his fingers and a Senkaimon opened. The captains returned and they proceeded through, on their way to a new home...

Ukitake watched as the gate closed and then he went to the balcony to study his kingdom. "If the captain must go down with his ship, then so be it...I will die with honour!" Ukitake raised his fist and watched as a mass of zombies approached his fortress.

So, the survivors of Soul Society are on their way to the World of the Living hoping to find a safe haven...but what will they discover when they arrive there?! Also, how will the small pockets of resistance in Sereitei survive? Will any of them make it out alive? find out in the next chapter!!

Please review!!


	11. There Is No Escape!

**There Is No Escape!**

Warning: Contains deaths of children and strong violence. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Soi Fon stared at the monstrosity that had once been a captain. Unohana's once beautiful face was now a portrait of decay and rot. Her pus-spewing eyes shifted to look off in the distance. She seemed no longer interested in her. Soi Fon backed away and the flash stepped away from the undead captain.

Unohana let her prey go...She had a bigger fish to catch now, but she would have to travel upstream to get them before they reach the ocean. She took out her sword and jabbed it at the air before turning it like a key in a lock. A senkai gate opened and she smiled with her lipless mouth.

*****

KARAKURA HOSPITAL

Buck fired another shot into a dead man's face. The decayed cartilage in his nose burst and sprayed over the area, coupled with brain matter and dark blood.

"There are too many of them!!" Buck fired again and again at the shambling hordes. When the beasts were knocked back, he slammed the steel door shut and watched the hands claw at the small glass window.

"Where are we?!" Frank asked in a panicked voice.

"How should I know? I'm not from here!" Buck closed his eyes and tried to calm down. He opened his eyes and fumbled around in the semi-darkness. "Where are the damn lights?"

"I found them!" Frank flicked a switch and stared into the blank wide eyes of a young woman. He shrieked and jumped back.

"What the...? Is this the maternity ward?" Buck looked around at the cots filled with newborns. "Oh shit! We have to kill them!" Buck aimed his pistol at the tiny head of a baby. Frank grabbed his arm and yanked it away.

"You can't kill them!! They are harmless little babies!!"

"They've been infected!" Buck roared, wrestling to get his arm back.

"You can't!!" Frank screamed hysterically.

Buck growled and punched Frank in the jaw. The man went flying across the room and rammed his back into a cot before tripping and falling in. Buck breathed raggedly and studied the children.

"Hmm...There's no-one dead in here...except for that woman, but she hasn't turned yet..." Buck crossed to the dead woman. Her belly had swollen so much that her pale flesh stuck out from the small shirt. Buck frowned at her and put a bullet in her head. "That's that done." He strolled away and found Frank still in the cot.

"Ohhh, that hurt!" Frank sat up and swung his legs over the side. "You son of a bitch!"

"You needed to calm down." Buck said in his defence.

"You were going to kill a baby! How could they possibly harm us?!" Frank didn't notice a tiny hand twitch beside him. "I mean if they were adults then you might be worried, but these are just kids!" The undead foetus' eyes flashed open. Yellowish eyes glared at the man sitting right beside him. "I mean even if they were infected, a baby wouldn't be able to hurt-" The baby lunged.

Tiny yellow milk teeth bit into the man's neck and thick foamy saliva dripped into the wound, mixing with Frank's blood.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHH!!!" Frank grabbed the baby by the head and threw it across the room. It collided with the wall with a bone jarring crack. Frank collapsed to the floor and grasped his throat which was gushing with blood. "Oh god! Argh! It fucking stings!!"

"You're gone now brother." Buck moved away, slowly crossing to the door.

"No! Please help me!"

"Hell no! Stay back or I'll shoot!" Buck raised his pistol.

Frank continued to plead, oblivious to the tiny killers crawling out of their cots. Buck fired at the tiny monsters and felt no remorse. He emptied his clip and then fumbled around for more ammo. He ignored the dead woman beside him, even though her stomach was pulsating.

Frank dashed towards his former partner, teeth bared. Buck screamed and fired point blank into Frank's jaw. The impact unhinged his jaw and his tongue rolled out of the ragged hole in his face. Frank dropped to his knees and moaned painedly. Buck shot him again and then ran to the door. He peered through the window at the now empty corridor.

"I'm getting out of here!" He cheered, but his celebration was too soon. A tiny shadow splayed across the door. Buck whirled around to see a grey skinned foetus clamber out of its mothers torn stomach.

*****

Mayuri sat in his lab, deep underground. He had been hiding here for the majority of the time. He studied a series of screens giving information on the situation in certain parts of Soul Society. One monitored the Dangai. It flashed and beeped in warning and Mayuri's unblinking eyes became fixed on it. He stared at the text rolling down the screen.

"What?! How?!" Mayuri stabbed at a few buttons before reading the screen again. He gasped and looked around nervously. "Damn those infernal creatures!! They've opened a Senkai gate and are planning on escaping! I'll make sure they die before they get far!"

The insane doctor pressed a large red button. He then typed in an access code and the screen flashed green.

"Ha! Let's see you survive the cleaners, filthy vermin!" Mayuri smiled venomously.

*****

"How far is it to the 'World of the Living'?" A red haired assistant captain queried. His captain, Byakuya Kuchiki answered.

"It is just ahead. We shall make it easily. The cleaners are not scheduled today." At that moment, the captain froze and whirled around. The others stopped and turned as well. The small group stared at what used to be a captain, but was now a hideous monster.

"Unohana?" Shunsui gasped.

"Prey?" The obscene creature snarled.

"Kill her." Byakuya drew his sword and began to charge, but Kyouraku caught his sleeve and drew him back.

"NO! There has to be another way!"

"Kyouraku, we need to kill these things." Toshiro replied.

"They aren't things! This is Unohana!! You can't just kill her!" Shunsui drew his own blades and had a short stand off with the others. None joined him in his fight, so he shrugged submissively. "You can't..."

"We must. To free her from this nightmare, we must grant her a natural death." Toshiro explained. His words gave some relief, but that was shattered when the ground trembled and a bright light came out behind them.

"The cleaners!!" Renji yelled. He ran desperately for the exit and a few others did the same.

Shunsui glanced at Unohana and frowned. "I have to rescue her!"

"She is gone, you cannot save her! Now run you fool!" Yammamoto demanded. Shunsui shook his head and flash stepped over to the undead captain. Yammamoto did not wait to see the result of his decision; he merely turned his back and ran. He had no time for stupidity, if Shunsui wanted to die, then he could die, but it would not dissuade the great warrior, Yammamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.

He flash stepped over to the entrance to the next world and he stepped out with the other two captains and two assistant captains.

"Where are the others?" Renji asked, peeking back inside at the three assistant captains running madly for the end of the tunnel. A young girl with her hair in a bun managed to dive through. A woman with glasses tried to catch up, but she wasted time looking back for her captain. It would ultimately cost her life. Another lieutenant, a fat man, struggled to run. He tripped and the cleaners reached him. Flesh was torn from bone and bones were ground to dust and that dust turned to nothing in a matter of seconds.

Renji jumped away and the senkaimon closed just before the cleaner reached them. He panted heavily and gazed around at the rest of the group. Their already small squad had just been halved by the surprise attacks. They had been knocked down from eight to five.

Renji hugged the terrified girl beside him and muttered reassurances to her.

Byakuya studied the area around them. From their vantage point in the air, they could clearly see the whole town. The streets were choked with the dead...and the undead!

"They are here too?!" Toshiro gasped, eyes wide. "Mayuri was telling the truth back then. He did steal this from the real world."

"Damn! We have fallen into a trap!" Genryusai bowed his head and sighed. "I guess we have no choice. Since we are here, we must fight."

"But we couldn't defeat the ones in Soul Society, how are we supposed to defeat them?!" Renji waved a hand to the grey blanket of rotted, walking corpses.

"We shall find a way." Byakuya whispered. "If you want to waste time standing here, then do so, but I have something I need to do." Byakuya excused himself and then vanished. The rest of the group drifted down to the ground and found shelter in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the town. They hid inside and barricaded the doors by piling up the old machinery against the steel rollers. When their defences were secured, they sat in a tiny group and contemplated their next move.

*****

SOUL SOCIETY

Kenpachi jumped back from a heavy slash and laughed. "Good moves kid! But how are you at defending? Survive this!" Kenpachi swung his sword down on Izuru's chest and hacked at his flesh. His blade sliced through ribs, organs and even the ghoul's leg. Izuru staggered back as a dark fluid gushed from him, staining the ground and creating a murky puddle.

"Humph! You are still standing, pretty impressive!" Kenpachi punched Izuru in the face and the ghoul fell back. He managed to avoid falling and instead lunged at his opponent. Zaraki caught him by the throat and chuckled when Izuru tried to bite him. "What are you? Biting is for dogs!" Kenpachi slammed his head into the ground and then drove him into the wall beside him before throwing him to the ground again.

The bloodied and beaten creature growled and continued in vain to defend itself.

Zaraki drove his sword through Izuru's chest and pinned him down. He then laughed and walked away.

"I'm done for now. Stay there and if you aren't dead by tomorrow, I'll fight you again! Ha ha-"

"GGGRRRRAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!"

Kenpachi's eyes narrowed and he spun on his heels. Izuru was right behind him, a gaping wound in his stomach left from where he tore himself free. Kenpachi was lost for words. He merely stared at the opponent that would not stay down.

Izuru lunged again, this time tackling the great Kenpachi to the ground before clawing at him and screaming like a wild animal.

*****

KARAKURA HOSPITAL

Buck left the screaming, infantile monstrosities and charged out into the corridor. He ran blindly around corners and through halls and wards. He passed a few zombies which he frenziedly shot dead. His usual bravado had abandoned him and now fear was setting in. He navigated his way to the entrance of the hospital and tasted freedom in the air. He studied the low moon and sighed.

It would be morning soon.

Buck jogged down the empty roads, studying the empty cars. He found one with the keys still in the ignition. The two occupants were sprawled out on the road, disembowelled and mutilated. He tried to look away from them as he jumped into the broken vehicle. The windows were all smashed, bar the front windscreen. Two doors had been torn off and the bonnet was dented far beyond repair.

Buck jammed the keys in the lock and prayed for an answer. The engine grumbled and the car lurched forward. He cheered at his good luck and began to manoeuvre the car around the corpses in the street. The car barely exceeded a human's running speed, but it conserved energy.

The car rolled down the main road and he noticed the shambling masses up ahead. They were crowded around the fence of a school. Buck ignored them and turned off to the right. He drove past ransacked houses and looted offices. He even passed a zoo. He remained silent as he drove past. Hopefully no-one would notice the car's slow speed. The zombies were fairly stupid, so maybe they wouldn't notice...Hopefully.

As he neared the end of the street the car jerked suddenly and the car stopped. Buck cursed and studied the fuel gauge. "Out of gas?! Dammit!" He bashed the steering wheel and sank back into his seat. "Stupid fucking thing! I'm just lucky I'm not being chased..."

He attempted to open the side door and overheard a loud crash. He froze and looked around anxiously. When he found nothing, he reached for the door again. He kicked it open and at that same moment, the wall beside him collapsed. Buck screamed and jumped back to the passenger seat.

As the brick wall crumbled, something huge stomped into view. It was a monster, pure and simple. Its skin was riddled with tumours and growths. Cold white eyes glared at him and a hideously warped mouth bared crooked fangs. Unnaturally bulky arms bulged and flexed. Veins as thick as a garden hose stood out on its immense muscles.

"AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!" Buck dived out of the car as the creatures tyre-sized hand crushed it. Buck staggered to his feet and ran. His tired legs burned as he vaulted over gardens and fences in his escape from the mutated creature. The giant monster gave chase, easily keeping up.

The monster swiped at him and he ducked just before he was bifurcated by the huge claws on its hands. Buck dived through a side window into a small house and he ran to the opposite side of the house and waited for a minute before going out. He dashed across the road and weaved between streets away from the monster. He managed to trace his way back near the school.

He scowled and studied the army of ghouls which bashed their fists on the fence and groaned and roared. It was unsettling to watch and so he hid inside an office building and watched from the third floor as the undead wandered around the once thriving city.

After several hours, he fell into a short and restless sleep that would last until the sun rose.

Day one...Over...

In case you misunderstood, the last line is accurate. From the plane crash up to now has been only one day. If so much terror can happen in just one day, what is in store for our survivors when the sun rises? 

I hope you are enjoying this story, please write a short review and I might update faster... Yes that is a bribe.


	12. The Sun Burns Red

**The Sun Burns Red**

It's the dawn of a new day. What undead horrors await our gang of survivors this time? 

The gang of survivors in the school all awoke restlessly. Sleep had been a struggle due to the constant threat of attack and the vivid nightmares and memories. They all got up with black ringed eyes and weary faces. They sluggishly gathered in their office and handed out weapons again as well as radios.

Their hunt would have to commence today, before whatever bit Carlos returned for another bite. They split into groups, this time Tatsuki stayed behind in the HQ while Jill joined the hunt. Karin and Orihime remained behind as well, though they still clutched weapons close to themselves.

Ichigo paired off with Rukia and they recovered their trek to the canteen. Jill decided to take a loop around the perimeter of the buildings while Alice and Steph checked upstairs.

Despite not knowing what they were looking for, they seemed confident. In daylight an undead creature would stand out easily.

Ichigo and Rukia walked down a sunlit corridor with their guns raised. Their wary eyes scanned the bright area. The floor was tinted orange due to the light which spilled in like water through a small row of windows up near the ceiling. Empty lockers lined the corridors, a collection of the lives left behind due to the apocalypse.

Ichigo signalled for Rukia to halt immediately after hearing a strange scurrying sound. The light scratching continued, though it seemed to be coming from several directions at once.

"What the hell is that?!" Rukia asked fearfully.

"I have no idea, but there might be a few of them..." Ichigo flicked the safety off and raised the barrel up to the roof. He listened for the source of the sound and then he fired. The bullet hit a wooden part of the ceiling which crumbled away in a huge chunk of termite rotted wood. Inside, a white ant the size of a human hand lay curled up in a ball. Black blood oozed from its unnaturally large body.

"What the...? Is that a termite?!"

"Shit! If there is a whole colony then there could be hundreds of those things!" Ichigo took out his radio and gave the warning to the others. He then continued along the corridor, anxiously checking every wooden object along the way.

*****

Alice and Steph found Carlos. His head was no longer one piece. It was a soup of grey goo and shattered fragments of bone and skin and hair. Steph gagged at the site of it but Alice just stared at it.

"We won't let that happen to us." She said sternly.

"How? That guy was a soldier! I'm just a secretary! I don't even know how to use a gun!"

"You used it fine back outside." Alice muttered.

"Only because it's impossible to miss when everything around you is a target." Steph bowed her head. "I'm useless. I bet you I'll be next." Steph gasped when Alice gripped her shoulders with an inhuman grip.

"Steph, I promise you...Neither of us is going to die!" Alice's eyes blazed with passion. She was intent on surviving without any more casualties, but there would have to be more than desire to save them.

Steph nodded and walked around the upper floor. The floor-boards under her feet were rattling. She stopped to peek through a hole in the floor. Her eye hovered over the ragged gap and something flitted past her. She jumped back and gasped.

"There is something in the floor!"

#We have a pest problem.# It was Ichigo. The radio beeped as he continued on.

#We have a colony of infected termites, so be careful of any wooden surfaces.#

"Termites..." Alice closed her eyes and drew her sword. Steph stared at the blade, still in awe of its beautiful crafting. She was startled when the blade was suddenly driven into the floor. Alice grinned when a black liquid seeped through the cracks in the floorboards.

"How did you do that?" Steph asked, amazed.

"I was a security guard for a long time so I was trained in detecting intruders." Alice grinned sheepishly and strolled onwards.

"So where are we?" Steph quizzed, looking around nervously.

"Well, I smell rotting food, so probably the cooking rooms..." Alice replied. She kicked a door in and studied the kitchen inside. The room was a mess. It looked like someone had ransacked the place and looted anything edible. Alice held her sword defensively in front of her body as she slowly stepped into the kitchen.

'Clang.'

A pot fell on the other side of the room, behind a tall counter.

Alice approached the side of the room and scanned the floor. A bag of flour had been torn open nearby and its contents had spilled everywhere. Large footprints had been made in it, though were not human feet that made the prints.

A loud bang behind the counter made Steph jump. She instinctively drew her gun and pivoted on her heel, checking the area around her.

Alice remained perfectly still. She could hear something getting torn apart. She took one step towards the source of the noise when something growled. Alice froze and she nodded to Steph, a signal to be still. Both women listened intently as the shuffling returned as well as the horrible grating noise.

Alice stepped closer, walking up to the counter. She could see thick tufts of grey hair over the other side. She held in her breath as the furry creature moved. Alice went on her toes and peered over at the monster.

It was a rat the size of a compact car. The hideous thing snarled and dug into another box of food. Alice raised her sword slowly, setting herself up for an instantly kill. The rat failed to register the intruder and Alice brought the blade down on the monsters thick grey mane. It sliced through the fur and burrowed through the wrinkly flesh of its neck, eventually getting to the bone. The beast squealed and reared up on its back legs, throwing Alice over the counter, making her land roughly on the floor.

The rat spun around and Alice stared into its vacant yellow eyes. It roared and charged sluggishly. Alice crawled into the open pantry just in time as the monster scurried past. Gunfire came from the front of the room and the rat shrieked again.

The creature rammed the pantry and the side wall splintered under the impact. The rat struck again and its teeth gnawed their way through. Alice slid up against the opposite side and drew her pistol. The rat opened its mouth to bite again and she lined up her shot. She pulled the trigger and fired. Since the pantry was pitch black, the sudden muzzle flash blinded her and the echo of the gunshot deafened her. With only touch and smell to guide her she fumbled around for the handle. She found it and shoved the pantry door open.

Alice felt around as she crawled on her hands and knees. She found her sword and felt relief at the familiar feel of the handle. She picked it up and guided into her scabbard before crawling around again. She found the end of the counter and went around only to be knocked down by something huge. She knew it was the rat, but she didn't want to admit it. She could feel the soupy saliva dropping onto her face and chest and she could smell its rancid breath. She grabbed a tuft of fur and placed her gun next to it before pulling the trigger. She could feel the beast convulse as the bullet passed up through its body. As the monster refused to fall, Alice fired again and again, emptying her clip.

Alice suddenly began to see a blur of grey. The beast was trapped in its own death throes, slamming itself into the cupboards and closets. Alice scurried away and felt her way around until someone grabbed her hand. Alice squinted at Steph's face but she couldn't make out anything. No doubt her friend was talking but she could not yet hear again. Steph dragged her friend away from the room as the rat breathed its last, cursed breaths.

*****

Rukia and Ichigo finished checking through every cupboard, every door and every crevice in the canteen. It was secure.

"Mission accomplished." Rukia chuckled. Ichigo frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Don't you get it? If this place is safe, then the ones in danger are-" Ichigo was interrupted by the sounds of gunfire. The constant rattle went on for two whole minutes before it stopped, leaving the sound of bestial roars and loud thuds to continue.

"What the hell is that?!" Rukia covered her mouth with her hands.

"It must be Alice and that other girl..." The noises stopped.

"Are they okay?" Rukia queried.

Ichigo lifted the radio to his mouth. "Alice, do you read me? I repeat, Alice, do you read me?"

The radio crackled and a light voice whispered softly.

#Yes. I hear you.#

"What on earth just happened?!" Ichigo yelled.

#It was a rat. I'll explain when we get back.#

Ichigo put the radio away and nodded to Rukia. "We're done for the day." They ran back to the office and found Alice and Steph already there. Alice was lying on a sleeping bag, her eyes closed.

Steph was leaning over her with a wet rag. She glanced up at the others and sighed. "She blinded herself. She should be fine in an hour or two, but for now she can't see."

"Well, while we wait she can explain what she thinks is going on." Ichigo sat down beside Alice who turned her head to face him.

"This virus affects all animals. I don't know how it is spreading but it has infected almost every creature in this school."

"Just a good thing we didn't have a pest problem before this happened..." Rukia muttered.

"The termites will be troublesome, but we don't know if they have turned carnivorous yet. Spiders are dangerous, but they are dormant in the daylight. Rats are unlikely to be in large numbers. If there are more, it would only be one or two." Alice took inventory of the threats they had already faced.

"So, how will we stop them?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't know. I just say we settle for now and wait until I'm better. We should be safe during the daylight hours."

"What about the humans?" Tatsuki chipped in. "They are just as aggressive now than they are at night."

"Well, the gate is holding, so that should be no problem." Alice yawned. "Please let me rest. The sooner I recuperate, the sooner we can get things done." Everyone fell silent as Alice drifted off.

*****

Jill sat down on a bench near the back of the school. The zombies were still herding around the fence, moaning and groaning as they crawled over each other. Jill frowned and looked away from the terrible sight, instead looking up at the sky.

The clouds were gone and the blue ocean of the sky had turned a different shade. It was lat sunrise and the sky was glowing a brilliant orange. Jill lost herself in the lovely view, but she was eventually interrupted by a loud clanging noise nearby.

Her head jerked to the right and she stared at the fence. At first glance there was nothing wrong with it, but then it happened. A flap of the meshing was pushed aside as a group of zombies stumbled into the school.

"Shit!!" Jill fumbled around for her radio and stabbed the button so hard it nearly broke. "Guys!! It's me Jill!! We have a breach on the Southern end of the school!! They're coming in!!"

The fence has been cleared! The zombies have found a way in!! Who will survive the massacre?! Will _anyone_ survive?! Read the next thrilling chapter to find out.

Please review!


	13. Fight For Your Life

**Fight For Your Life**

"Did she just say..." Steph trailed off.

"No...It can't be!!" Rukia grasped the sides of her head. "What do we do?! We can't escape!"

Ichigo rose to his feet and loaded a clip into his assault rifle. "There is only one thing to do. Fight!"

"But Alice can't see! How can we fight?!" Steph cried.

"You keep her safe. Rukia and I will guard the entrance. Tatsuki, keep my sister safe." Ichigo charged out through the door and into the outside world. He saw Jill sprinting towards him, her eyes wide with terror. "How bad is it?"

Jill doubled over and wheezed. "They tore down the fucking fence!"

Ichigo was taken aback by the shocking words and he almost fell over.

"We can't fight them! There are too many! We have to pack up and run for it!" Jill ran inside. "We can't waste any more time!"

Ichigo slowly back-tracked, keeping his eyes fixed on the door. He could hear them before he could see them.

"Ichigo! Hurry!" Rukia tugged on his sleeve, but her friend was frozen. "Ichigo?! Ichigo!!"

"Get back." He growled as he walked to the doorway. He opened fire and kept the trigger down until the gun clicked on empty. He then stepped back and slammed the door shut. He and Rukia ran down the short corridor back to their base. On the way, they heard windows smashing and a legion of footsteps.

"We're doomed!" Jill cried as she packed a bag.

"We can't run!" Ichigo roared.

"Of course we can!" Jill snapped while loading her Berretta.

"The whole town is covered with zombies; this is the only safe haven in the whole town, possibly even the whole country! We need to defend this outpost or we will all die!" Ichigo's speech did little to stir the others.

"We're all going to die anyway..." Orihime whispered through sobs. Tatsuki comforted her.

"Look. We've got to decide now. Either you run with Jill, or you stay with me. Decide now." Ichigo stood at one side of the room with his assault rifle resting across his chest in his folded arms. Jill approached the door and waited expectantly for followers.

"Alice can't run, she's still blinded..." Steph murmured.

"I don't need to see them! I just need to kill them!" Alice growled, sitting up and reaching out for her sword. Steph gave it to her and then helped her up.

"Well, I guess I should stay, but..." Steph looked down at the floor and sighed. "I'm not a fighter. Sorry." She walked over to Jill who smiled.

Rukia took up her automatic pistol and closed her eyes. "I'll fight by Ichigo's side until the very end."

Karin walked over to Jill. "I'm not staying here. Either I wait for death, or I run into his arms and frankly the faster the better."

"Karin, no!" Ichigo called after her.

"Sorry, Ichigo. But after seeing what you did to goat-chin and Yuzu...I can't stand to be close to you anymore..." The words stung and each one pierced him like a sharpened blade. Karin waved goodbye and walked out the door.

"Hime, the decisions up to you." Tatsuki whispered. "I'll stay by you no matter what, so choose our path."

"Kurosaki-Kun?" Orihime crawled towards him and he kneeled down to be level with her. "I'll always miss you." Orihime kissed him briefly and then went out the door, her eyes clouded with tears.

"See ya Ichigo. You were a great friend...Maybe I'll see you around another day." Tatsuki patted him on the shoulder.

"If I'm one of them, then kick my ass like you used to in karate class." Ichigo said jokingly. They both laughed before parting ways.

The fleeing group gave their last goodbye before setting off out the front of the school. Because of the opening in the back, most of the zombies had left the front gate to find the opening. Jill led her small team through the gate and then closed it behind her. She saluted towards the office before jogging after her comrades.

*****

Inside, the three brave warriors counted their ammo and prepared themselves for possibly their final battle.

Ichigo put on a thick coat he found in a cupboard and put all the spare ammunition in the inner pockets. He then slid a hunting knife into a sheath on his leg.

Rukia wore two holsters for her automatic pistols. She also carried a battery operated drill in a backpack.

Alice took her sword and slung her shotgun and sub-machine gun across her back.

Now they were ready for war!

Ichigo led the way out into the corridors which were beginning to fill with zombies. The trio used their melee weapons to slay the small group. They then ran out into the open where the zombies numbered in the hundreds.

"There are so many! How did they all get through?!" Rukia shrieked.

Ichigo pointed to the large portion of the fence which had been torn down. "More will come, we have to try and get rid of this lot before the reinforcements arrive!"

Alice took out her sub-machine gun and blinked several times. She could see them now, not crystal clear, but well enough. She let loose a rain of bullets on the blurry shapes which tore through the front row. Ichigo added some additional firepower while Rukia picked off the stragglers that survived the first assault.

Gaining some ground, the trio walked out the door and began clearing the area further.

Ichigo unleashed the fury of his rifle, mowing them down and tearing the rotten bodies to pieces. The low wall of corpses did nothing to distract the remaining zombies who clambered over to the fresh meat. As the front wave advanced, more zombies streamed through the broken fence, surging through as one giant mass, like a wave.

"Shit! They keep on coming!!" Ichigo roared.

Rukia fired frantically, her fingers frozen on the trigger. She screamed furiously as she took down the advancing beasts.

Unfortunately, the strong offence was not enough and the undead horde was beginning to regain their lost ground.

"Fall back! Get inside!!" Alice cleared the way with one large blast from her shotgun and then the opened the door and dived through. Ichigo took up the rear as Rukia made her way in.

"Ichigo! Hurry!"

Ichigo turned around and took three steps before something pounced on him. He cried out in alarm as he was knocked to the ground. The creatures quickly surrounded Ichigo and a few headed for the door.

"ICHIGO!!!"

"Leave him! Shut the door!" Alice yelled.

"I can't! I can't leave him out there!!" Rukia shrieked between tears.

"He's probably dead!" Rukia gasped. "If he is still alive he'll find his way back to us. Now come on!" Alice wrenched the door shut and grabbed Rukia's hand, leading her down the corridor. They turned a corner and nearly bumped into a gang of the infected citizens. They moaned painfully as they shuffled across the floor. Rukia howled and shot them down, emptying both guns. She reloaded as they continued on. Round the next bend, the zombies were more concentrated. Their numbers had grown. More were in the building now, clogging the halls like fat in an artery.

Alice used her shotgun to clear a path but it was quickly refilled. "Damn! We can't go this way! Turn back!"

The two women spun on their heels only to see more of the undead filing in. A section of wall had been knocked down and several windows were smashed, allowing the wretched creatures entry.

"The stairs!" Rukia shouted over the growing chorus of grunts and growls. They made a desperate run for the stairs and leapt up three at a time. When the reached the top they entered the closest room and took out all the desks and formed a barricade on the steps, blocking the creatures off.

"How many more stairways are there?" Alice asked, rubbing at her eyes.

"There are three more."

"Lead the way." Alice commanded.

*****

Ichigo threw the small child off of his back, just as his yellow teeth were about to bite through his arm. He then unsheathed the hunting knife and slit the childs throat. In a matter of seconds, he had become surrounded. The zombies were everywhere!

Ichigo spun in a circle with the blade held out, managing to cut through a few throats. He then took out a pistol and shot down three of the ghouls straight in front of him. The small gap held and he barged through, knocking a few down in his mad dash for safety. He made his way back to the door and tugged at the handle. The door was locked.

"Hey!! Open the door!! I'm still alive!! Open the door!" Loud snarls came from inside. Ichigo punched the door and cursed before taking out his assault rifle again. "It's time to go Rambo on these bastards!"

Ichigo roared a fierce battle-cry as he let loose, spraying lead into the oncoming horde. The blood of dozens of enemies sprayed his body, soaking him. He continued to scream, even as blood spurted into his face. Despite his efforts, they were still getting closer. He only had two metres of space between him and the front line.

Ichigo took a few steps back and then shoulder charged the door. The door buckled, but held firm. He did it again.

Only one metre left.

Ichigo slammed the butt of his gun into the wood and it splintered.

Half a metre. Their decaying hands stretched out to claim their prize.

Ichigo barged the door again and it dented, splitting even more, but not enough.

The hands clasped around Ichigo and their claws raked against his flesh. Ichigo roared defiantly and swiped at them, knocking them away, but they returned immediately. Ichigo slammed his back against the door, screaming at nobody for it to open. The zombies swarmed all over him and he hacked madly at them, but to no avail. Out of rage, he grabbed the nearest zombie by the shoulders and rammed his skull into the door. A spot of blood coated the timber on the first hit. Ichigo drew him back and hurled him again, and again and again.

The zombies were embracing him now, wrapping their arms around him and preparing to bite.

"!!!!!" Gathering every last bit of strength he had, he drove the man's skull into the door one last time. As his head split apart, the door caved in and the weight of Ichigo and a dozen or so ghouls leaning against it caused them to all tumble through into the building. Ichigo stagged to his feet and stumbled away from the ghouls who were already climbing over their fallen brethren.

Ichigo escaped one army, only to encounter another. The halls were choked full of rotten corpses of the living dead.

Ichigo reloaded his assault rifle and prepared for another round.

*****

WAREHOUSE

Renji woke to the sound of nails scratching and grinding against steel. The noise was awful and he gritted his teeth as he covered his ears. The others got up and they approached the source of the sound, swords raised. The weapons would not harm the zombies, but it would slow them down at the least.

Momo lifted the door and Renji hacked at the guest, before he could even see it. When the door was opened fully, they looked out into a barren wasteland which was slowly filling with the undead.

"We've been discovered! What do we do?" Momo asked.

"We'll leave. We are not able to fight them at this time. Come on." The captain commander led the way, followed by Toshiro, Renji and Hinamori. The tiny group flash stepped past the shambling hordes and found a new safe haven in the form of an abandoned shop. They boarded up the large windows and barricaded the doors before resting once more.

*****

SOUL SOCIETY

Ukitake looked down upon his ruined kingdom. He was commander of a small force against a far larger army. This war would be unwinnable, but it would grant him an honourable death in the least.

His train of thought was disrupted by the arrival of a panicked guard.

"What is wrong?" Ukitake asked calmly.

"Well, we have found some survivors." The messenger explained.

"Any captains?"

"Yes! It is Captain Soi Fon and Captain Kommamura!"

Ukitake smiled. He had some reinforcements. "Let them in." He commanded.

"But...The undead are swarming the gate! If we open them to let in the captains, then surely they will raid this barracks and kill us all!" The guard bowed his head and waited for a response.

"Hmm. We can't let two fine warriors die...but we can't let those creatures inside either..." The grey-haired captain thought for some time before walking towards his men. The guard followed. "Troops, gather around the gate! We are going to open it and allow our comrades entry! Make sure you don't let the undead get through!"

"Open the gate!" The soldiers roared to the gate-keepers who pulled a lever and then hauled the great gates open. A soon as the smallest gap opened, the zombies charged.

"Stop them!! Don't let them in!!" Ukitake roared to his men before sending a hell butterfly to his two companions outside the gates. "Godspeed men. We can't hold them off for long..."

Both worlds are now torn between a vicious war with the dead, but will either world manage to survive against such impossible odds? The battle has only just begun and there will be blood!

The time for hiding is coming to an end. A massacre is about to take place and no one is safe. Who will survive against the horde of zombies? Who will fall? Find out in the next unmissable chapter!

Please review, adoring zombie fans! Your comments make the chapters keep coming!


	14. Massacre

**Massacre**

As you would expect from the chapter title...this will get messy. Please enjoy and review!

Ukitake commanded from the balcony shouting orders and frantically sending Hell butterflies to the front lines with encouragement and instructions. The men fought bravely, but the undead were slowly getting through.

"They're pushing us back!" A terrified soldier cried before one of the creatures latched onto his neck, tearing off a long strip of flesh before consuming it before his very eyes. The man tried to scream, but more creatures surrounded him and tore him to pieces. He couldn't even fall as the beasts held him up while they skinned him with their rotten teeth.

A nearby soldier hacked the heads off of the first two, and then he ran the third through with his sword. He smiled confidently until the beast crawled through the sword until it could reach him. The man cried out as his eyes were gouged out and his face gnawed by the decaying fangs of his opponent.

In the centre of the bloodshed, a large mass of the undead charged through the gate, only to be intercepted by a team of shinigami. The troops raised their swords proudly and then rushed to meet the enemy. In one minute, four of them were dead. The remaining troops doubled their efforts to avenge their fallen friends, but even the additional furiosity could not overcome their undying opponent.

Ukitake could feel the sweat pouring down his forehead. From his vantage point he could clearly see how the undead were forcing their way through. A wall of shinigami was preventing further advances, but they were already on first squad territory. Worse still, there was no sign of the stranded captains. If they don't show up soon, then the rescue mission would have to be abandoned.

"Hurry! We can't hold them off much longer!"

The wish was granted soon after. The rear flank of the undead was being broken up by a large figure barrelling through them. The giant warrior charged on until he reached the front line. He then flash stepped inside the gate. Kommamura was covered in blood and looked worse than ever, but he was alive. The giant took something off of his back and laid it down on the ground. It was Soi Fon's unconscious form.

Ukitake came out to meet them. Kommamura frowned at Soi Fon.

"I found her lying in the pathway towards her own barracks. She's knocked out."

"What happened?!"

"She was fighting at some point. She must have worn herself out and collapsed." Kommamura glanced over at the dire situation at the gate. "Shall I take care of this?"

Ukitake cocked his head.

Kommamura glared at the approaching horde of zombies. "It won't kill them, but it will clear the way...Ban-kai!"

A giant golem formed out of the air and towered over the assembled armies. It stomped on a patch of the undead and then kicked the nearby ghouls, sending them flying across the battle field to land in a way that would permanently incapacitate them, or kill. The rest were taken care of by the golem swinging his gigantic sword. The blade sliced through them and knocked them outside of the gate. When the job was finished, the golem returned to it's master and reverted back into the fox-mans large katana.

Ukitake stared at the area which only minutes ago were teaming with the undead, but was now bare.

"Shut the gate!" Kommamura commanded and the surviving troops closed the huge gates, preventing the undead from coming back in. Kommamura ran his gaze across the numerous corpses inside the fortified barracks. "We need to prevent all of these men from turning into the enemy. Find every corpse and sever the head!"

"What?!" Ukitake yelled. "We can't do that!!"

"If you leave them, they will rise and attack us. If we slay them while they are still human, then they retain their honour." the canine eyes bore through Ukitake and he eventually submitted. He sighed and turned away.

"Do as you must." He murmured.

The remaining shinigami underwent the grim task of executing the fallen. The once grey stone ground was now a sickening red pool in which the fallen now drowned. While the threat of attack had diminished, the shinigami began cleaning up. The smell of blood would only attract more of the wretched zombies, so to prevent that, a pyre had been constructed. The bodies and their seperated heads were thrown into the great fire and a plume of smoke that smelled of dead flesh wafted up into the air and carried over Sereitei.

*****

Kiyone smelled smoke. She rose from her fitful sleep and shook Isane awake. Her older sister groaned and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it?"

"There's a fire somewhere! Maybe it's a signal or something!" Kiyone beamed.

"Maybe it's a fire?" Isane muttered and tried to get back to sleep.

"Isane! We should check it out!" Kiyone persisted.

"You can. Come back and tell me if it's actually anything important." Before an argument could start, Isane closed her eyes went back to sleep.

Kiyone went to the wall and climbed up the stairs so that she could see over. The smoke was coming from the direction of the first squad barracks which was always the emergency meeting place for shinigami. That meant there were survivors out there, but in between them was an army of zombies and a long trek through the ruins of Soul Society. Kiyone summoned a Hell butterfly and studied the little creature. She sighed and took a deep breath.

"To anyone who receives this message...I am third seat of thirteenth squad, Kiyone Kotetsu. My sister and I are trapped in the barracks of eighth squad. We are requesting aid, if possible. If not...then tell my captain that it was a pleasure serving under him and-" She stopped to cry and realised she could not speak anymore. She set the little bug free and it fluttered through the spreading smoke which was beginning to pass over the barracks. Kiyone sniffed the black smoke and her eyes narrowed. Due to the circumstances, she had grown to recognise the terrible odour that lingered in the smoke.

"That's..." She couldn't bring herself to say it, but that smell was of rotting flesh! Before she could panic, she noticed the shuffling silhouettes in the distance. As the sun disappeared and the smoke choked the sky, the hungry creatures came out to look for food and since the smell of flesh was carrying over everywhere, the zombies were spreading as well. Rather than move about in one giant group, they were splitting up to cover more ground.

Kiyone gasped. Escape would really be impossible now...

It took ten minutes for a force of the undead to arrive at the gate, sniffing the air like dogs and banging on the gate. More joined after a little longer, while others went around the perimeter. Every exit was now covered, there was no escape. There would only be death!

*****

Mayuri observed the footage of the zombies. He always had cameras installed all over Soul Society to monitor things. Now he was using it to study the enemy. Despite causing the end of all things, this was an intriguing occurrence and he was not going to miss the chance to study these undead beasts. He became curious when the zombies, who were in strictly huge masses suddenly split up. They spilled into every area of Sereitei as if a dam had broken.

"Hmm, interesting...Now how will we get out of this predicament?" Mayuri asked to no-one but himself.

*****

Kenpachi wiped the blood from his face and sighed. One hand held the severed head of Izuru Kira; the other held the large bite wound on his left shoulder. Kenpachi gritted his teeth and hurled the head to the ground. The head rolled over until Kira was staring at him with his cold, dead eyes. Zaraki roared and stomped on it until it was a mushy pile of crushed brain matter and bone fragments.

"You bastard! I sure as hell don't want to end up like you!" Kenpachi considered the wound on his shoulder. "They probably won't take me back anymore...I guess I'm on my own for now." Kenpachi's murderous smile returned to his freshly scarred face. The claw marks dribbled blood as his skin wrinkled up into a hideous fanged smile. "Bring it on!" He stabbed at the sky and laughed maniacally.

*****

Back in the real world, events were taking a decidedly terrible turn for the worse.

Jill's escape team managed to sneak out of the front gate, but the smell of fresh meat was easily traceable to the undead. Jill shot down the first few stragglers who tried to get an easy meal, but more and more came each time, until it was a wall of the ghoulish creatures.

"What now?" Steph asked.

A group of zombies took up the duty of taking the rear. They were surrounded now.

"How many weapons do we have?" Jill asked, struggling to remain calm.

Tatsuki rummaged through the exercise bag strapped over her shoulder. "We have a pistol, a chainsaw and...A knife."

"Shit!" Jill threw one of her Berretta at Steph. Point and shoot. It's simple! Tough girl, you take the pistol. Your friend can have my other gun. She hurled her second Berretta to Orihime. "As for me...Give me the chainsaw!"

Karin frowned at the approaching horde of hungry beasts. "What about me?"

"You stay calm and stick with us!" Jill instructed as she tugged at the pull string on the chainsaw's hide. After three attempts, the engine roared.

"You sure you can use that? It's pretty heavy." Tatsuki muttered.

"I'm fine! I was in the S.T.A.R.S for god's sake!" Jill glared at her opponent and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of air. She savoured what could possible be her last breath. Then...

"!!!!!" Jill charged straight at them, raising the chainsaw and trying to roar louder than it. She brought it down on the front row of ghouls, the blade tore through them, spitting flesh out all over the place as arms were lopped off, heads were severed and torsos cleaved in two. Jill hacked frenziedly at the zombies who began to encircle her. She screamed in rage as she spun in a circle with the blade raised high. She decapitated the whole circle of ghouls and then stepped into the open to attack again.

Tatsuki, Steph and Orihime took care of the zombies approaching from behind, raining bullets on them, firing blindly. Some shots missed but the majority hit something.

Despite fighting on two fronts, the survivors were losing. Slowly they were getting pushed closer together and the undead were managing to create a thin circle around them all.

The female fighters shrieked and screamed as they dealt out killing blows time and time again.

Jill was surrounded by herself and the others were too busy to aid her. She spun around in another circle, eviscerating a new wave of the undead. As more rushed in to finish what their unnatural brethren started, Jill spun again. She took down another thirty zombies until.

'Chink.'

The chainsaw's blade stopped moving. The engine died.

Jill stared wide-eyed at the blade and screamed in pure terror. She needed to return to the others quickly, before they got her. She charged into the weak line of zombies and ran towards her friends, but one ghoul gripped her hand and refused to let go. The grip was stronger than an industrial vice and the claws dug into her soft flesh. She cried out in agony and as she struggled, the claws bit down further, severing her artery.

"Jill!" Tatsuki glanced over and her eyes widened. She put a bullet in the zombies head and Jill was released. She took another step until two more grabbed her arms. She writhed about as she tried to escape. Tatsuki fired three rounds but she was so terrified she could not shoot straight. One bullet caught the left zombie in the knee. The second skimmed past his cheek and the other hit the right zombie in the arm. All did nothing to stop them.

"SAVE ME!!!!" Jill screamed as a set of fangs dug into her forearm. She squealed as another zombie latched his teeth onto her lower jaw. She tried to scream but only blood gushed out. Another zombie grabbed her chest and dragged her down to the ground. Jill's eyes focused on Tatsuki and her final words caught in her mouth as the ghouls ripped her stomach open as if she were a box of chocolates. The rotten hands reached inside her and pulled out her innards. Her skin went pale instantly and Tatsuki collapsed to her knees.

A shadow loomed over her and she spun around to face another ghoul whose head exploded instantly.

Steph helped Tatsuki up and they both nodded to each other before unleashing hell on Jill's killers. The ghouls were too absorbed in devouring her stomach and intestines to realise their kin were getting slain around them. Tatsuki emptied her clip, ending the wretched life of every ghoul around Jill. The sight of what remained behind made her throw up and Steph guarded her while she emptied her stomach.

Meanwhile, Orihime closed her eyes and shot randomly, too terrified to open her eyes or take aim. Karin screamed at her to aim, but it fell on deaf ears.

Karin ran to the discarded bag and took out the knife. She then rushed back to Orihime and waited for them to come. The creatures closed in and Karin slashed at them. She wasn't tall enough to reach their heads sometimes, so she aimed for the throat. Dark blood showered her and she felt more repulsed than ever, but she would wait until it was safe before she felt sick.

The battle raged on and as the undead decreased in numbers, the small pack of survivors managed to regroup. Tatsuki and Steph did the most of the work and Inoue and Karin took care of those who came too close. They fought well until both gunners ran out of ammunition at the same time.

They fumbled around in their pockets for a new clip all the while, the zombies shuffled ever closer.

Karin roared threats at the growling creatures, but to them she was no threat, merely prey.

"Inoue! Shoot them!!" Tatsuki demanded, but the scared young girl shook her head and curled up in a ball.

Steph found a clip and stuffed it into her gun. She reloaded just as the undead came within a hands width of her. She fired point blank and cheered when the bullet passed through the first ghoul and went on into the one behind as well. Unfortunately, the lucky shot was not enough and they closed in too quickly. A zombie tackled her to the ground and Steph tried to wrestle with it, but the monster had strangely superior strength. She stared at the gaping wide mouth, filled with rotten black fangs. The jaws of fate closed in on her neck and tears flowed from her eyes. This was the end...

'BOOM'

The ghoul flew off of her, blood spewing from his mouth. Steph turned to see Inoue with her gun raised, her eyes misted with tears. She had a fiercely determined look on her face and she forced a brave smile. Her hands were shaking but she still held the weapon high.

Tatsuki dragged Inoue to her feet and ordered for them to run for it. Steph staggered to her feet as Tatsuki provided cover fire. They then sprinted out of the way of the undead horde and ran to a nearby office building. It would serve them well as a place to lick their wounds and count their losses. As the assailed the winding staircases, they realized they had only travelled one block away from the school. In actuality, they hadn't really escaped at all. They wasted time, resources and lost one of their best fighters. They had done nothing except leave Ichigo and Rukia and Alice for dead and use up everything they had.

This was their worst loss yet, but there would surely be more to come...

Jill has been lost...and for nothing! Was this the wake-up call the survivors needed, or was it an unneccessary slip-up? Will it make them stronger, or will it shatter their hope? Find out in the next chapter!

Please review!


	15. Slaughter

**Slaughter**

Ukitake was resting when the hell butterfly landed on his lap. He bolted upright and stared at the little bug. It fluttered its wings and its message played.

_To anyone who receives this message...I am third seat of thirteenth squad, Kiyone Kotetsu. My sister and I are trapped in the barracks of eighth squad. We are requesting aid, if possible. If not...then tell my captain that it was a pleasure serving under him and-_

Kiyone started sobbing and then it ended. Ukitake was relived that his subordinate was still alive, but the news that she was trapped across a sea of zombies, made him feel defeated. It was difficult enough trying to salvage two captains right outside, but to travel all the way to Eighth squad territory and rescuing her would be too costly. With regret, he decided to leave her stranded. If and when this nightmare ended, he would find her, but for now, she was beyond reach. The new captain commander wiped a tear from his eyes and departed to the balcony.

From the high viewpoint, he could see the smoke that had settled over Sereitei and the swarms of the under that it attracted. The decision had ensured they would be safe inside the walls, but it had also ruined any plan of escape, not that there ever was one in the first place...

The subject of escape made him wonder about his shinigami who abandoned Soul Society to escape to the World Of The Living.

_I wonder how they are doing...Probably sleeping comfortably without a care in the world..._

*****

Renji stabbed a training sword through a zombie's right eye. The beast thrashed about before dying. More crawled through the smashed barricade to replace him.

"Help me!!" Renji roared.

The captain commander and Toshiro Hitsugaya rushed up to meet the invaders, slaying them with regular swords, though with expert technique. Even without the use of Shikai and Bankai, they were superb fighters. They would not go down as easily as a mere mortal.

Momo curled into a ball and sobbed. Her back rested against a piece of fibreboard which covered another window. She leaned back against it and tried to shut out the battle that was unfolding.

The fighters overpowered the invaders and pushed them back, forcing the undead vermin outside. Before any more could get inside, Toshiro created a wall of ice. It would not kill them, but prevent entry while they re-built the barricade.

Renji hurried off to find materials while the ancient captain of the first squad took a break. Age had ravaged his body. He was not used to fighting like this. Usually he just used Ryujin Jakka's mighty flames to destroy any opponent, as opposed to fighting purely with body strength. The centuries had worn him down and he was not the fighter he used to be. He managed against the small number, but it had drained him physically. Against a large number of the ghouls, he would eventually fall.

Renji boarded up the large hole in the wall and Toshiro went to sit beside Momo.

"We can rest now...Thankfully." Renji muttered.

"Poor Hinamori, this is torture for her." Toshiro wrapped an arm around the terrified girl.

"I'm okay!" She reassured them shakily. "I'm fine, really! I'm going to be o-"

The board behind her shattered and a greying hand with rotting flesh struck out from the hole. It then tore through the board until the beast's head could fit through. The monster grabbed Hinamori and dragged her closer to its mouth. Both she and Toshiro screamed. Out of panic, Momo gripped Toshiro by the arm preventing him from leaving.

"Momo! Let go of me!!"

"Help me!!" Momo screeched, ignoring her friend's plee.

Renji rose to his feet and drew his sword.

The ghoul bit into the top of Momo's head, tearing free a chunk of flesh and a clump of hair with it. Momo cried out in agony as warm blood oozed down her cheeks. The ghoul gripped Momo by the throat and began dragging her out of the hole. She writhed about trying to stop him, but it was hopeless. She still gripped Toshiro who was getting dragged along with her. The ghoul was no longer visible so Renji had to guess where the beast was and drove the blade through a random spot of wall. It missed and instead made the wall crumble.

Toshiro grabbed Hinamori's white knuckled hand and tried to pry her fingers off of his arm. All the while, the poor girl was half outside and half inside. She screamed as more ghouls approached her.

"TOSHIRO!!! HELP!!!" She cried.

Hitsugaya felt hot tears sting his face as he wrestled with Momo's fingers. He was desperate and he needed to make her let go immediately. With no other choice...He broke her fingers.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGH!!!!" Hinamori cried. "WHY?! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS?!!!" those were her last words before she died. The ghouls ate away at her upper half and left her legs dangling inside of the small cafe where the shinigami had built camp. The beasts left her legs and ran off to find something else.

Everyone inside was silent.

Toshiro stared at his hands, Momo's last words playing over and over in his head. "I...I killed her!"

"No, you did what you needed to do. She was going to get you killed. I would have done the same thing." Renji tried to console the young captain b t failed.

Toshiro sprung to his feet and ran to the hole in the wall. Renji tried to stop him, but the white haired boy sent a powerful kick to his chest. Renji collapsed to the floor as Toshiro crawled outside. Renji peeked through the hole to see the traumatised boy apologising to the ravaged corpse of his long-time friend.

Renji sighed. He knew it was hopeless now. He turned away and tried to drown out the horrible screams as another friend died needlessly.

"Abarai, you fool! Block the hole now! Hurry!" Yammamoto roared.

Renji glared defiantly at him and sank to the floor where he sat, folding his arms.

"What are you doing?! Do you want them to get inside?!" The old man scolded.

Renji raised a hand. "Shut up! Let me think!"

"About what? Block the hole and you will be free to think as much as you like!"

"I'm going." Renji interjected.

"What?!" The eternally closed eyes of the captain commander suddenly opened.

"I know I'm going to die, so I'm going to the one place where I want to die! So long captain commander; it has been an honour serving you." And with that, Renji crawled out into the street and ran off for his burial ground of choice.

Yammamoto stared at the hole in the wall. He was too tired to repair it. He was too tired to run either. All he could do was sit there, waiting as the undead clambered into the room with him, gathering until the room was choked with them. The old man picked up his sword and held it out defensively with trembling hands.

"Come if you want to die!" He roared, though he was no longer intimidating. The ghouls were like lions, targeting the weak and old. Natures course would end the life of the immensely powerful warrior. Yammamoto tried his hardest to fend them off, but sheer numbers brought about victory for the undead. Even as the flesh was being stripped from his bones, the old man fought on. In his last moment of desperation he took out his sword.

"If I am fated to die here...Then I can at least take you all with me!! REDUCE THE WORLD TO ASHES!!! RYUJIN JAKKA!!!" The sage raised his sword as it burst into flame, wiping out everything in the room and causing the whole street to explode in the wrathful flames of Hell.

*****

Renji stared at the huge explosion only twenty metres away from where he was standing. He leapt back to a safe distance and stared at the towering flames. He bowed in respect to his mentor and commander and then he continued on his journey.

"If I am to die...Let it be by your side...Rukia!"

*****

Ichigo mowed down the ghouls before him, creating a pathway through the horde of rotting corpses. Rather than stay and fight them all, he made a dash through the gap he created. The zombies were slower in here because it was cramped, so Ichigo was able to slip by them and head off for the stairs to the upper floor. He ran full tilt but slipped on something. He fell on his back, landing awkwardly. He cursed as waves of pain shot up through his back. He rolled over and stared at the puddle of blood.

Thankfully, it wasn't his, though if he waited any longer it could be. Ichigo looked at the reflection in the puddle and noticed the approaching zombies. Without even looking up Ichigo took out his pistol and shot them down. He then staggered to his feet and limped to the stairs.

The walk would have been short, but the pain made it feel like the journey lasted several hours. When he finally reached the stairs he turned back to check on how far away the shuffling undead were behind him. He went up the first half of the stairs and turned to the left, expecting to go up the other half, but he found them blocked off. He glared at the wall of tables that prevented entry to the top floor.

Rage boiled up within him and he punched the barricade while roaring obscenities. When he realised it was pointless arguing with inanimate objects, he decided the go to the other stairwell, on the other side of the school. Hopefully, whoever constructed this had forgotten about the next set of stairs, otherwise he would be really screwed.

Ichigo jumped down the stair and landed in a crouch. When he rose to his feet he growled at the oncoming ghouls.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" Ichigo took out the assault rifle and decimated the front few rows until the clip ran on empty. Ichigo frowned and placed the gun between his legs. He reloaded the rifle with one hand while firing with the pistol in the other. He multi-tasked for a minute and then unleashed a second rain of bullets, this time taking out a larger portion of the beasts, though it seemed to be going nowhere. The wall of the undead was as impenetrable as the wall on the stairs, and while he wasted time and ammunition, another swarm of the undead were shuffling ever closer from the side hallway.

Ichigo lowered his arms and felt defeated. He had nowhere near enough supplies to fight against this many zombies and scaling the barricade would damage the structure enough to let them through anyway. Ichigo closed his eyes and thought of the love of his life, Rukia. Regret sunk in as he imagined the wonderful future he always wanted with her. He had never even confessed his feelings to her... He had wasted so much time just waiting for nothing. Now he was going to die without Rukia ever knowing how much he cared...

"RUKIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He cried out desperately as the undead forces converged and swarmed around him.

*****

Rukia looked around anxiously. Alice stared at her with confused look on her face.

"What is it?"

"Didn't you just hear that?! Someone was calling my name!" Rukia said frantically.

Alice frowned. "I know this has been a stressful situation and usually in stressful situations your mind plays tricks on-"

"I'm not crazy!! I heard it for real!!" Rukia shot up to her feet and took her dual pistols out of their holsters.

"What are you doing?!" Alice asked.

"I recognise the voice! It's Ichigo! He's still out there!! I need to help him!" Rukia rushed towards the door and half expected Alice to stope her, but she just sat back and smiled. She seemed to recognise her surprise so she explained herself.

"You two have a strong bond. I don't want to come between you in your final days on earth together. I understand if you want to leave."

Rukia thanked her and then ran off, following the source of the loud roars coming from downstairs. She stopped at the top of the staircase and screamed at the sight of the hallways down below, choked full with the undead. There were so many in the small space that they were crushed together, shoulder to shoulder. She covered her open mouth with her hand as she heard Ichigo cry out in alarm.

_Oh no! Please don't take him!! Not Ichigo!!_

Rukia charged at the barricade and hit it with her body as hard as she could. The impact bruised her in several places and it felt like she had broken an arm, but she continued to attack it. Out of desperation she fired into the wooden construct and it fell apart, allowing her to crawl to the top and see Ichigo trapped in a sea of ghouls.

"ICHIGO!!!" She shrieked.

Her orange haired friend hacked and slashed and shot at the beasts around him, mercilessly slaying them. Rukia assisted by firing with both guns at the same time. She cleared a path towards the barricade and then placed a table over the side like a ramp. Ichigo shoulder charged through the beasts and then jumped onto the ramp, but the zombies tugged at it and the ramp collapsed, sending Ichigo back down. Rukia gasped and looked around for another alternative.

She grappled with letting Ichigo die, or letting them all die...

She decided.

Rukia stepped back and shot both clips of her pistols into the wall; she then picked up a broken table and used it as a battering ram to destroy the wall. Ichigo jumped out of the way of the falling rubble and then clambered up towards Rukia. He stretched out a hand and Rukia stretched out hers, both reaching towards their future together and their very survival.

They were too far apart and so Ichigo dragged his body up further. He reached out again, only to fall short a second time. Ichigo kicked at the ghouls behind him and edged closer towards his secret lover. For a while, time seemed to slow. Ichigo could not hear the growls of the undead, nor Rukia's hysterical cries...all he could sense, was Rukia's presence. It drove him on and he leapt up towards the large hole in the barricade. He grabbed onto a table leg and hung in place for a moment before reaching out to Rukia.

Their hands reached towards each other and their fingers made contact. Their finger tips brushed against each others and then went out of reach again.

Ichigo cursed and swung from the table leg. As he gained momentum he threw himself up further, catching hold of the edge of another table. He reached out again and Rukia's hand fell into his. Instantly a flood of warmth spread through their bodies and a relief settled over them. The wonderful moment made them feel safe again, to be in each others hands. They prayed for the moment to last forever, but good things never last...

Rukia hauled Ichigo up towards the hole and then leaned forward, her lips pursed. Ichigo crawled dup higher until their lips were nearly touching. Just before they made contact, Ichigo felt a decaying hand wrap around his feet. His eyes widened and before he could scream he was dragged back down.

Rukia searched for Ichigo, but he had disappeared in the undead crowd.

"ICHIGO?! ICHIGO?! ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

What an awful series of events! The shinigami in Karakura town have been wiped out by the undead and Renji has betrayed the captain commander to fulfil his own dying wish. Meanwhile, Rukia and Ichigo's passionate reunion is tragically cut short as Ichigo is dragged down into the undead sea! Will they ever have that kiss? Will their unconfessed love blossom or die in a sea of blood and rotting corpses?! You cannot miss the next thrilling installment!

Please review! I'm really enjoying this story and it is becoming my main focus for now, so expect faster updates. 

**_REVIEW!!!_**


	16. Regroup

I haven't been able to stop writing this story! I've been breezing through chapters because it's getting so damn good! Even if you hate it, I'm getting a kick out this story, though it would be preferable if you loved it as well. If you do, please review and drive me on for the final stretch, because the end is getting closer and closer.

**Regroup**

Tatsuki, Inoue and Steph huddled together in an abandoned office building. They were tired, hungry and depressed. Their hopes of surviving were quickly dissipating. Their will to fight had gone and they were beginning to wish for death. The idea of defeating the undead which outnumbered them so greatly was becoming an impossible dream. Without Ichigo, Rukia or that other girl, their group was lacking in fighters. They were merely three scared women.

They could hear the shuffling footsteps a few floors below, but no-one had the energy to escape to a higher floor. They just wanted to hurry up and die.

"How much longer until it's over?" Inoue asked solemnly.

"Not much longer Hime." Tatsuki hugged her best friend and frowned. "I guess we'll be going to Soul Society soon..."

Inoue smiled weakly. "Yeah..."

"I bet they have ice-cream there...We can just eat ice-cream for a few hundred years. Wouldn't that be great?" Tatsuki talked louder to drown out the footsteps which were now right below them.

"Friends forever?" Inoue whispered as the door burst open and a bunch of ghouls charged in.

Tatsuki clutched her friend tighter and nestled her head against Inoue's cheek. "Friends forever!" She whispered shakily. Tears flowed and she began to sob quietly as the shadows of the undead enveloped them.

The adventure was about to end. The fun, the pain, all of it would end in this last scene of bloodshed. Together, the dragon and the princess would fall as one.

Tatsuki opened her eyes and saw Inoue's cheeks become scarred by jagged claws. The beautiful girl was getting torn apart by the undead. Tatsuki closed her eyes, unable to watch anymore. She could feel claws digging into her, she could feel death approaching. It was only a matter of time before-

"!!!!" Steph gave one last battle-cry before she was tackled and eviscerated.

Tatsuki remembered something she had given to Orihime a while ago. She snaked her hand around Orihime's waist and found the small object attached to her belt. Tatsuki yanked it off and held it up to her face. She glared at the metal object and pulled the pin on it before rolling it under the feet of the beasts around her. She then hugged Inoue tighter as she went through the countdown in her head.

'BOOM!'

The explosion destroyed the room and blew the majority of the undead to pieces The grenade landed too close to one wall and made it break apart, messing up the supports for the room. The building failed to stay up and the top two floors collapsed down on top of them, then the floors beneath caved in. The whole six storeys fell apart and the whole complex fell into the ground. A great cloud of dust rose up from the rubble.

*****

Nearby, Renji watched the large structure collapse. He stared at it as the whole office building was reduced to rubble. When the dust began to settle he rushed in and searched the wreckage. He found many corpses, but they were all those of the zombies. He rummaged through the broken plaster board walls and the metal framing and eventually found the corpse of a young woman clutching a gun to her chest. He frowned at the victim and left her where she was. He was about to leave when he saw a familiar face sticking out from the debris.

He dashed over and hauled the chunk of wall off of the two girls. He stared in disbelief.

"Inoue?! Are you alright?" He prodded the wounded girl and got no response. Her face was riddled with scars and she was badly. The other girl was not much better.

The second girl was covered in savage claw marks and her legs were twisted horribly. Blood was oozing out of the corner of her mouth. Renji wiped it away and frowned. He couldn't just leave them there but he couldn't carry them both...

As Renji contemplated his next move a shadow covered him. He whirled on his heels and faced a man with light brown hair. The man stared at the two girls and sighed.

"More victims...I haven't found any other survivors for ages..."

"Who are you?" Renji asked.

"Leon. I was on the first plane from Raccoon city. I heard the second plane was contaminated and crash landed here." Leon frowned. "Are they still alive?"

Renji nodded. "I know them, well, I know her." Renji pointed to Inoue.

"What happened? I heard some loud bang and then saw that building fall apart!"

"I'm not sure either, but I'd assume they were fighting and resorted to desperate tactics." Renji muttered.

"We should carry them with us."

"Us?" Renji raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, well...I thought maybe you and I could...You know...Help each other out?" Leon scratched his head. "You're the first survivor I've seen this whole time, please don't leave me here!"

"Fine. But we go where I want to go, got it?"

"Sure!!" The man picked up Orihime and smiled. "Lead the way...um..."

"Renji." The red head stooped down and picked up the other girl. They then headed off towards the school.

*****

SOUL SOCIETY

Ukitake gave in to his desires. He couldn't stand to abandon his subordinates. He needed to rescue Kiyone, even if it brought about the end of Soul Society itself, he would save her!

Right now, his troops dined in the main hall of the barracks. He approached them and got their attention. Every head turned and they all stared at him.

"I am glad everyone is enjoying their meal. I want you to savour it, as it may be your last!" The words aroused a few gasps from the assembled army. "Tomorrow, we shall leave this fortress and head out for the eight squad barracks!"

The crowd suddenly began to argue amongst themselves.

"But that place is a ghost-town!"

"But we'll have to fight our way through all those monsters!"

"Why would we do that?!"

"Does he want to die?!"

There were no takers for the mission. Ukitake sighed. "We have run low on supplies here. To survive, we need to travel to a new barracks and set up camp there."

"But, we have plenty of food!" One soldier argued.

"We have one more meal and that's it! We don't have the food and supplies to cater for such a large army. We need to leave!"

"Well, then why don't we just go to third's barracks, its closer?" Someone asked.

"We are going to the eight squad barracks and that is final!" Ukitake roared. Everyone fell silent. Ukitake took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Do not argue with me. I am the captain commander of Soul Society and my orders are absolute! If you disobey, you are a traitor and shall be treated as such!" The grey haired man hated himself for doing this, but he needed to sound bloodthirsty to earn their loyalty.

Kommamura rose to his feet and raised a goblet of sake. "I shall follow you to Hell and back, Commander Ukitake!"

The brave words instilled some of the others to raise their glasses. Eventually, the whole hall was cheering the commander's name. He had his army, now he was ready for the coming battle.

"Thank you. We shall leave at dawn." Ukitake bowed and then returned to his chamber where he thought of the bloodshed to come.

*****

KARAKURA HIGH SCHOOL

Rukia screamed out Ichigo's name, but it did nothing. She wept as she watched the creatures get worked up into a feeding frenzy. There was nothing she could do now. Unless a miracle happened, then she was doomed.

"Ichigo...I..." She couldn't say it. She sobbed worthlessly as she imagined her lover being ripped to shreds by the undead menace.

"There you are." A strangely familiar voice muttered. Rukia's eyes narrowed and she turned slowly to see a white coat fluttering about before her eyes.

"Is it...really you?!" Rukia looked up into the man's face. "Nii-sama?!"

Byakuya frowned at his little sister and raised his sword. "Where is the boy?"

Rukia gave no response, she was too stunned. Byakuya shoved her aside and dropped his sword down below. It sank into the ground as if it was water and then the whole hall turned black. Great blades burst forth out of the ground.

"No-one shall slay Ichigo Kurosaki...For his head is mine!" Byakuya extended his hand and the blades exploded in a brilliant display. The shards turned to razor-sharp flower petals and they shot off into the undead, shredding them apart. The hall became a blender as the undead were turned into mincemeat, slowly uncovering the orange haired boy lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

When the hall was cleared, Byakuya chuckled. "Hmm, I thought zanpakuto were supposed to be useless against them. I guess the undead here are different..."

Rukia hopped down to where Ichigo lay, ignoring her brother. She cradled his still form and repeated his name over and over, as if the pathetic mantra would wake him up.

Byakuya stood over her and sighed. "He is unconscious. He has sustained severe wounds, but nothing fatal. Let us find a safer place before you get too comfortable." Byakuya lifted Ichigo and grimaced when his blood stained his haori. He flash stepped up onto the top floor and Rukia followed. Rukia then led him to where Alice was waiting.

The brunette smiled as Rukia fell through the door. "So you found another one?"

"Byakuya Kuchiki. I have come to see my sister and ensure her safety."

"Sister? Rukia never mentioned a brother?" Alice cocked her head.

"Nor do I usually mention her as my sister, but the world is soon at an end, so there is no point trying to preserve my pride."

"What a loving family." Alice joked. "Well, get comfy, because we aren't leaving."

"Why not?" Byakuya asked.

"Because Ichigo is too weak to do anything for now and we don't have the supplies to go against them. We've already run out of ammo for this." Alice threw the sub-machine gun into the centre of the group. "We've only got three shots for the shotgun. Rukia's only got two more clips for each of her guns. And Ichigo's assault rifle is spent."

"You do not need guns to survive! The way of the sword has protected man for far longer!" Byakuya wiped his sword against his tattered haori and then he discarded the now crimson coat.

"Well, we aren't samurai! As skilled as I am with a sword, I doubt I could last forever." Alice sighed and lay down. "Now, I feel sleepy, so don't disturb me."

Byakuya rested against the wall and watched Rukia crawl up beside Ichigo. The captain made it look as if he were asleep, though he was actually spying on them.

Rukia hugged Ichigo and stroked his hair which had turned red from the blood that soaked him. She kissed his forehead and then drifted off. Byakuya scowled at the display and then tried to drift off himself, but he could sense an intruder. He got up and flash stepped to the front of the school where he saw a familiar face trudging through the gate.

Renji and an unknown man approached the school and looked around nervously. They then sprinted inside.

Byakuya went down to meet them. Renji was excited, but Byakuya was less than overjoyed. He ignored Renji's questions and led them back to the camp. He did not care if Renji was still alive; he was merely a pawn to sacrifice in his own place when the time would come.

The group walked quietly into the room where the other survivors rested and set down their things and followed suit. Byakuya kept vigil, staring out the window at the darkened sky and the undead that limped through the streets. Soon they would all have to fight the final fight. The valiant last stand that would either result in victory, or shameful defeat. The time for resting would not last.

Byakuya glanced over his shoulder at Ichigo and Rukia.

_Enjoy this moment while it lasts, Rukia. Once the sun disappears, only death shall await you..._

The armies are gathering, soon the greatest battle shall commence, but who will win?! The living or the dead?! Read on to find out!

Please review! Your comments so far have been so helpful and more of them will only drive me to greater heights! So please click on that little box and write a short comment. It helps more than you think.


	17. One Bite, Two Deaths

**One Bite, Two Deaths**

The survivors were sung to sleep by the mournful cries of the undead. The unsettling chorus was a strangely unavoidable lullaby that sent them all to the world of sleep, possibly for the last time. Even in their shattered state, they needed to fight, it was inevitable. Those that were fittest would live on in the new world, the weak would bravely sacrifice their lives to create a new, better world.

Alice woke up first. Her mind wandered to her past. She remembered all those she left behind, the whole world she once knew that was now behind her. Not only that, but her friends. The people she had met on her quest for safety, Steph and Jill, both were gone. Everything she once treasured was dead, or undead...

Alice watched the sun rise. The sun glowed orange for now, but soon it would burn red, a signal of the end of all things. Humanity had fallen and its last hope took the form of a bunch of teenagers and refugees from another country. They weren't much of an army, but it was now them against what had become of the world. Only one would succeed and things weren't looking good for the living.

Alice overheard restless moaning. She turned to see Tatsuki rolling about. She crawled over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder, accidentally waking her. The girl gasped and stared at Alice. She then calmed down.

"Nightmares?"

Tatsuki nodded. She then looked around the room. "Where are we?"

"Back at the school. Somebody brought you back here yesterday and you've been unconscious since." Alice smiled. "Your friend should be fine as well." They both turned to see Inoue, looking calm in her sleep, despite her ravaged body.

"I thought we died..."

A yawn from the side interrupted them. The red-head sat up and groaned. "So you're awake. I thought I was carrying a corpse for a while back there..."

"What happened?" Tatsuki asked.

"You were inside a building which exploded and collapsed. I searched the rubble and found you and Orihime. Thankfully, you are both alive."

Tatsuki got on her feet and was about to run over and thank the man, but her legs failed her and she fell to the floor with a loud thud which miraculously didn't wake the others.

"Oh yeah. I think your legs may be broken." The man mumbled. You got caught under a chunk of wall and it must have fractured your legs, sorry."

"Well, at least I'm not dead." Tatsuki tried to reassure herself.

"As long as we are here, we will protect you!" Alice said bravely. It brought a smile to those who were awake.

"Such foolish talk?" Byakuya scolded. The three awake survivors stared at him. "I've been awake for a few minutes now, but I couldn't be less interested in your fruitless attempts at consoling each other."

"Kuchiki-sama, please be a little less cold. These are our final days!" Renji scolded.

"Well then, being cold will prepare you for the brutal reality of life. Those ghouls won't try and make you feel better, they just want to devour you and make you join their ranks." Byakuya rose to his feet and sharpened his sword on a stone he brought along with him.

The others frowned at each other.

Leon woke up next, asking where the toilets were. Renji sighed and decided to show him. Alice and Tatsuki chattered quietly amongst themselves while Byakuya glared at the horizon.

*****

A little while later, Rukia's eyes fluttered open. Her first sight was of Ichigo, a serene smile on his face as he slept. It brought a flood of warmth to her and she thanked him with a hug. The gesture seemed to wake the boy as his eyes shot open as soon as she touched him. His alertness dropped when he recognized the face and he returned a weak smile.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." Rukia whispered.

Ichigo closed his eyes and groaned. He muttered something under his breath and then frowned at Rukia. "We're doomed aren't we?"

"No...We are safe. We can stay here until the undead-"

"Fool!" Byakuya interrupted. "The undead won't just walk away. They know we are here! They can smell our fresh blood and it is enticing them from all over town! We can only fight our way out!"

"Out where? Why leave when this place is safe?!"

"This place will not be safe until every god-forsaken beast out there is dead! When that is done, we will be safe and can pretend the nightmare is over for a while." Byakuya growled.

"But..."

"He's right." Ichigo admitted to Rukia's shock. "The undead are crawling all over this place. They could sneak in any second and kill us all. The only way to be safe is to slay every single ghoul in the area..."

"For once you see the world through the eyes of a true warrior Kurosaki. You must live through this so that I can face you once again!" Byakuya replied.

Ichigo nodded.

"But, how can we fight them?! We don't have enough-" Rukia was interrupted by a sword cutting the air right before her eyes. Byakuya was suddenly standing beside her with the blade held out.

"When will you learn...The world is full of weapons. When your sword breaks, use your fists, when your hands break, use your feet, when you cannot stand, bite them, when your teeth fall out then you roar so loud that a million men would halt their march to hear it!" Byakuya's stirring speech gave them all strength, but for how long it would last, was unpredictable.

Byakuya sighed. "Where is that fool Abarai? He left with that other man some time ago..."

"Where to?" Rukia asked.

"The men's-room." Alice answered for them. "Isn't that on the bottom floor?"

Everyone's eyes widened and those that could rushed to their feet and out the door. The injured remained behind.

*****

Downstairs, Renji and Leon fought off the undead. "Where the hell did they come from?! The hall was deserted when we got here!" Renji hacked away at the ghouls while Leon used a handgun against the walking corpses.

"It's hopeless! There are too many of them!" Leon cried.

"It isn't hopeless! We can fight through them, or at least take enough out to ensure the others survive!" Renji roared as he sent a kido blast at the front row of ghouls.

Leon gawked at the amazing feat. "How the hell did you do that?"

"By eating my greens. Now shut up and fight!" Renji howled as he slashed a ghoul across the side of the head, cutting through his skull and cleaving it in two. The blood that spurted out from the wound caused a disruptive fountain which blocked the view of the oncoming forces. Renji cursed and kicked the ghoul over, incidentally spraying the front line of zombies with their fallen comrade's life serum.

"Die you bastards!!" Leon fired a continuous steam of bullets and each shot found their mark, slaying a ghoul with military-like precision.

"Good shot. What did you do before the incident?" Renji asked, keeping up conversation while hacking away.

"I was in the army for a while-" Leon paused to glance off another few rounds. "I only managed to be a private, but I still learned a good deal in training."

"I can tell." Renji shouted over the roars of the monsters. Renji fought off more of the creatures but they were steadily advancing. "Hey Leon! Where is my cover?!"

There was no response.

"Leon!! Leon?!" Renji hazarded a glance over his shoulder and realised his friend was no longer standing there. "Shit!" Now alone, Renji put all of his strength into his desperate fight against the swarm of the living dead.

Mournful howls and bloodthirsty roars assaulted his ears as they covered every patch of space in the hall. Renji leapt into the air and landed on the shoulders of one ghoul. He then ran across them like a living floor.

The ghouls growled at him as he kicked their faces, but they were too slow to react properly. Renji landed at the foot of the undead army and gasped for breath. The feat had taken a lot of strength and he was exhausted now.

"I'm getting the hell out of here!" The lone redhead charged off through the corridor, only to be tackled from behind by something huge. He rolled onto his back and saw something dart off down an adjoining corridor out of sight.

_That was lucky..._

The isolated warrior got to his feet as the army reached him. He ran for the stairs which were only twenty metres ahead, but he was grabbed by something and dragged to the ground. Renji lashed out and punched the assailant in the nose and he grinned when he felt cartilage break in the beast's nose. Renji then snapped his leg out and kicked over his own head, striking the assailant in the chin. He then used the forward momentum to roll forward and get back to his feet, unfortunately, the undead were coming from all sides now.

"Will this ever end?!" Renji cried as he once again took up his sword against the rotten creatures.

*****

Byakuya, Alice and Rukia stopped at the foot of the stairs. The zombies were crawling in from all over the place. They were coming in through door, windows, even holes in the walls. They were crowding around an area in the middle of the darkened hall; surely it was Renji and the other man.

"Hurry! We have to help them!!" Rukia cried, taking out her guns. Byakuya placed a hand on her shoulder and frowned.

"Let us take care of this." He then strolled forth into the sea of the dead.

Alice followed close behind him. "Rukia, conserve your ammo and watch us kick their asses. Got it?"

Rukia nodded meekly.

"Good! See ya!" Alice charged into the rear flank of the ghouls, who all had their backs turned. The two blades danced gracefully, while dealing death to the arisen corpses. Blood painted the halls and limbs and heads flew around as the way of the sword prevailed over the shambling creatures that had once been normal civilians.

"Wow." Rukia watched in stunned awe as the zombies were slowly but surely pushed back. A clear, wide path was created leading ever closer to where Renji was also fighting. Rukia gasped when she realised more of the undead were filing in behind her brother. She clutched her fire-arms tightly as sweat rolled down her forehead. "No...I need to help them...I can't let them die!"

Alice spun around and beheaded a trio of the monster sneaking up on her. As she returned to the frontal assault, Byakuya used his swords special abilities to decimate every undead ghoul in a three metre radius of himself in the blink of an eye. The bloodied petals reformed into his sword and Byakuya returned to traditional fighting.

Rukia sighed, but she couldn't help but notice that her brother was beginning to tire. Using his powers was draining him physically. He wouldn't be able to keep fighting if he used it again.

"Please be okay..."

*****

Renji struggled to defend all sides. As he wiped out the zombies in front of him, he would be scratched by someone behind him. When he spun around to slay that attacker, another would strike his side. He was getting worn out. If the others didn't find him soon, it would be all over for him.

Bravely, he soldiered on, sensing the reassuring presence of both Byakuya and Rukia. They were on their way; in fact they were very close. Only a wall about twelve ghouls thick stood between them.

Renji swung his sword in a wide horizontal arc and then following through with another and another. He carved through the living wall and felt freedom within his reach. He was going to be saved!

Suddenly, he felt something else...A stabbing pain in his shoulder. He barged the ghouls behind him and spun on his heels to face his attacker.

It was Leon. The young man's skin had turned deathly pale and his cheeks had eroded, revealing his jaws and gums, both of which were a dirty black colour. Blank grey eyes stared at him curiously and his hands stretched out to grab him.

Renji backed away, for an instant he was oblivious to the other zombies, giving them a chance to dig their teeth into him. He cried out in agony and released another kido blast, incinerating the nearby ghouls and singing his own flesh. He fell to his knees and looked up to Leon who approached with a pained limp.

"You bastard! I knew I never should have let you tag along!" Renji rasped, as if his words would actually register in the mindless puppets head. Only one thought was running through Leon's head now...And that was the order to kill!

Renji drew upon the last of his strength and drove his blade through Leon's stomach, causing an eruption of dark blood which spurted all over the fallen warrior and getting in his eyes. Renji spat out the tainted blood and wiped his face before taking a firm hold of the sword handle and yanking it up through Leon's sternum and up through his head, eventually splitting him apart like a piece of lumber.

Renji regarded his wounds and was considering ending his life when a hand grasped his shoulder. He stared at it and realised it was a normal flesh colour. He rose to his feet and smiled weakly at his former captain who was drenched in so much gore that his identity was almost indecipherable.

"Let us go. We have fought for long enough here." The old captain assisted him in trudging through the carpet of dismembered corpses, back to the others.

Alice defended the stairs from a few stray ghouls who gave up on Renji and went the other way. They were dispatched quickly and the reunited group headed back up the stairs, not wanting to check if their enemies were following.

Rukia hugged her child hood friend and Renji returned the gesture, though his mind was a million miles away.

_I have been bitten...Should I tell them? But Rukia is so happy....And I'm happy. Maybe I should just let it go for a little longer. When I have said goodbye, then I will tell them._

The tired group returned to the others and they all settled down. Renji sat beside Rukia and they hugged each other. Ichigo let them be, knowing full well that the wild-red-head was breathing his last breaths. Until then, he could enjoy his final moments with his best friend.

Renji thanked Ichigo for being such a good friend, then Byakuya for being a great captain. He then thanked Rukia for changing his life. Afterwards, he let out a deep sigh and his eyes closed slowly. His body slumped over and he died in Rukia's arms...Just as he wished.

The group mourned together for a brief time, and then everyone bar Rukia prepared for their last charge. Rukia remained holding Renji's corpse, weeping softly, completely unaware of his wide, blank eyes.

No! Watch out Rukia!! Could things get any worse?! the supplies have run out and our heroes are forced to make one final stand, but little do they know that the undead are already right under their noses! Who will survive the final onslaught?! Read the next chilling installment to find out!

I am very addicted to this story right now and it is so close to the end now! Only two more chapters, probably, so don't miss them!

Please review, it helps greatly.


	18. The World Of The Living Dead

Be warned: This chapter contains graphic violence and scenes that may reduce the emotionally frail to tears. Please review after reading.

**World Of The Living Dead**

Everyone gathered their weapons while Rukia grieved for her fallen childhood friend.

Alice took her sword and the shotgun.

Byakuya armed himself only with his sword. He sharpened it in preparation.

Ichigo took a pistol and a machete that Leon left behind.

Tatsuki kept her pistol from much earlier. It was still in the holster on her hip. She counted a full clip and another spare, but that was all.

Inoue cradled her pistol and whispered calming phrases to herself.

Lastly, Rukia had her two automatic pistols, both with tow spare clips. If anything, she would provide the most firepower in the long run, but that long run could last only ten minutes if not used properly.

Ichigo walked over to Rukia to check on her and make sure she was coping with Renji's death. He saw Renji's head hanging limply over her shoulder. He frowned at the dead man. He was a good friend, even though their time together was short. Ichigo had only known him for around a year, but it had felt like longer.

"Rukia...Are you ready?"

Rukia gasped and choked. Ichigo tilted his head and noticed blood running down her shoulder and staining her top. He screamed and ran to her side. He threw Renji aside and stared into the depraved eyes of a wild animal. Renji growled and lunged for his former friend, but Ichigo jumped back in time and then drove his knee into the ghouls face.

"YOU SCUM!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Ichigo roared. He took up Renji's own sword which leaned idly against the wall. Ichigo stared at his opponent and stomped on him, to keep the monster down. He then hammered the blade down through the top of his skull before twisting it so sharply that Renji's whole head split open like a melon, spilling grey brain matter over the floor. Ichigo then wrenched the blade out and hacked Renji to pieces while crying stinging tears.

"Bastard!! Bastard!! Bastard!!" Ichigo roared over and over again as he turned the beast into a pile of scraps. Alice restrained him and Ichigo threw the sword to the floor before collapsing to his knees. He crawled over to Rukia who was beginning to shiver as her blood gushed out from the hideous bite above her collar-bone. Ichigo tore off a strip of material from his shirt and made a makeshift bandage and pressed it against the wound. The blood soaked through it and got all over his hands. It was warm, but it was different from the warmth he had grown to love which used to emanate from the girl of his dreams.

The room went silent, the only noise was Ichigo's sobbing and Rukia's ragged breathing.

"No...No, no, no, no!!" Ichigo cried. "Not you Rukia...Anyone but you!" He squeezed her and whispered her name over and over.

"Ichigo...I'm so sorry..." Alice began approaching the traumatised boy.

"Go away!!"

"Ichigo...I know it hurts, but we have to leave! The zombies are already on the top floor. It is only a matter of time before they find us!"

"Leave us!" Ichigo snapped.

"What?!"

"I won't leave her!! If Rukia dies, I die with her!!"

"That's crazy!" Alice yelled.

"Is it?! Well a whole lot of crazy shit has happened recently!! I don't see what makes this any different from the rest!!"

"Ichigo-"

"I'm staying with Rukia!! We will die in each others arms!!" Ichigo roared.

Alice opened her mouth to speak, but words failed her.

"Ichigo?" Tatsuki crawled up to him. "I'll stay too! I'll fight by your side till they grind my bones to dust! Inoue will stay as well!" Inoue nodded weakly.

"But...We won't be able to escape if they catch us in here!" Alice tried to reason with them, but they all stood firm.

Byakuya walked over to his sister and kneeled down. "I am not staying to be eaten alive by moronic ghouls. I shall live to fight another day, even if it means abandoning you all." He closed his eyes and kissed Rukia's forehead. "Farewell dear sister. You showed great strength to make it this far...but this chaos was too much for a delicate flower like you..." The noble captain rose back to his feet and he nodded to Ichigo.

"I regret that our fight shall remain unfinished, but I guess it can't be helped. Defend my precious sister to the very end or I shall hunt you down and slay the moronic beast that became of you!"

Ichigo nodded and watched as the great Byakuya Kuchiki disappeared.

The growls from outside were getting closer. Alice cursed and walked over to the window. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather run like hell than let them kill me. If we ever meet again, I'll make sure it's quick and painless. Goodbye all of you, if the world wasn't ending, I would have liked to get to know you all better..." With that, Alice opened the window and crawled out. She then abseiled down to the ground below before making a dash for safety.

Before she left the school premises, she glanced back to the tomb of her friends. The zombies could be seen through the windows, all rushing towards the one room where the last of the Karakura citizens waited for their death. Alice wiped away a tear and ran off.

On her way she passed a small body lying in some rubble. She bent down to study it and recognised the dusty face. It was Steph. Alice bowed her head and gave a short period of mourning to the secretary from Raccoon city. When she had given her memorial, she recommenced running. She ran on down the endless roads until she could run no more. She slowed to a walk but kept on going until she was forced to crawl. Eventually, lost and exhausted, she collapsed in the middle of the road.

*****

Byakuya left the others behind as the undead began to clamber into the room. Rather than fight, Byakuya flash stepped down into the street below and was about to prepare a senkai gate when a loud growl alerted him. He drew his sword and spun around to face a monster the likes of which he had never seen. It had once been a tiger, but it was now a horrendously mutated fiend.

Its striped fur was missing in places where tentacle-like protrusions stuck out. Its claws were ridiculously large and its body had swelled to immense proportions. The beast stood as tall as a man and its jaws alone could swallow a head whole. Teeth the size of a chef knife were slick with slimy drool. One eye was missing and from the empty socket had sprouted another tentacle, though this one was larger and ended in a serpentine head. Its other eye glowed an unnatural yellow colour.

"Poor beast. Even a majestic creature such as yourself has succumbed to this madness. I shall give you the courtesy of being slain by the last man alive in this Hell!"

Byakuya dashed forward and the creature lunged. Byakuya raised his sword and blocked the huge claws which were nearly the size of his blade. The power behind the swipe knocked the warrior back and he regained his footing before preparing for another strike. He leapt into the air and landed on the tiger's back. The tendrils shot out to get him but he hacked them apart before driving his blade down through the fiend's thick, muscle-bound back. The beast roared and reared up on its hind legs, throwing Byakuya to the ground.

The warrior rolled about in the dirt and then hurried back to his feet ignoring the gravel rash which scarred his arms. "I thought you would be strong enough to survive that. As expected I will have to give this my all!"

"GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHH!!!" The tiger charged straight at him and Byakuya tensed. The tiger stood before the captain and reared up, swinging it's paws behind itself, preparing to cut him apart with its insanely large talons.

Byakuya noticed a large shadow coming from the side. He leapt away just as another mutated creature barrelled into the tiger. The two rolled about and came up with teeth bared. Byakuya watched as the new contender, an infected ape with great tumours and crooked claws took his place.

The two monsters battled for supremacy. The ape screeched as a large tumour was sliced open, spewing pus and blood all over its body. The tiger raked its claws across the ape's chest, digging deep enough to disembowel the creature, but the ape did not fall. It grabbed the tiger and bit its neck. The snake growing from the tiger's eye socket bit the ape in retaliation and the gorilla yanked the serpentine growth out of the tiger's skull. The tiger roared and tore out the ape's innards before leaping out of its grip and to a safe distance.

Byakuya watched the eviscerated ape fell with one last howl of rage.

The tiger breathed raggedly and licked its horrendous wounds. Even though he was the victor, his life would soon be over. Byakuya flash stepped before the huge beast and closed his eyes.

"I shall end your suffering now. Your wretched life has lasted long enough." The tiger opened its mouth to roar, but a split second later, its head detached from its shoulders and fell to the ground. Byakuya cleaned his sword and cast his gaze back to the school.

*****

Tatsuki and Orihime took up their weapons and prepared to fire, until they realised how many zombies there were. The room was full in seconds, a hopeless battle. Accepting defeat Tatsuki hugged her friend and placed the gun against her head. Orihime did the same.

"Friends forever?" Orihime whispered. A stray tear flowed from the corner of her eye.

"Friends forever." Tatsuki confirmed, wiping the tear away with a trembling hand. They closed their eyes.

'Bang! Bang!'

*****

Ichigo clutched Rukia as tightly as he could.

"Ichigo...I...I..." Rukia still couldn't say it. Blood dribbled out from the corner of her mouth and her vision began to get fuzzy.

"I love you Rukia. I always have and I always will. Even when we become mindless zombies I will still love you! No matter what happens, we will always be together!"

"Thank...you..." Rukia whimpered.

Ichigo leaned in close and kissed her, while she was still alive and human. They expressed their mutual feelings through the long passionate kiss and they did not stop, even when the door was knocked down and the undead began to shuffle in. As their tongues danced the horrors of the world where drowned out by their undying passion. Even the apocalypse could not separate them. When they both shied away they gazed into each others eyes which were beginning to go blank. Their skin went several shades paler and they both smiled.

"Even in death, we shall be together...Forever..." Ichigo hugged Rukia and closed his eyes. Rukia returned the gesture.

"May we meet again in the afterlife."

The undead were right beside them now; their inhuman growls became sickeningly loud. The couple gave their lasts words in unison.

"Together to the end...Our love shall live on..."

*****

Outside the school, Byakuya watched the buildings with cold eyes. He felt the presence of Rukia and Ichigo disappear. Their fight was over. They had died preserving the one thing that could never be taken from them...Love.

"You decided to cherish each other in your final moments rather than fight valiantly...I envy your innocence..." The old warrior got down on one knee and gave a silent memorial to Karakura town's last survivors. With their deaths, the town was completely lost. Not one living soul walked through this place anymore. It was merely a wasteland for the walking dead.

Byakuya gave one last glance at the tomb of his beloved sister and sighed.

A senkai gate opened before him and he stepped through without looking back on the ruins of Karakura.

Such a tragic end to the Karakura citizens...But will Soul Society face similar heartache, or will they succeed over the undead? Read the next chapter to find out!

I hope you enjoyed the story so far, please review!


	19. The Battle Rages On

**The Battle Rages On**

SOUL SOCIETY

Ukitake took up his sword and gave a deep inhale, breathing in the foul air. It still reeked of death and decay, meaning the zombies outside of the gate would be agitated for the battle to come. The commander studied his army. It was only a hundred or so strong, but they were good fighters. They were the fittest of the 13 squads...unfortunately; they were against every other member of the very same 13 squads...

"Commander Ukitake, shall we give the order to open the gate?" Kommamura approached him, his wolfen eyes glowing with excitement.

"Sure. We have no need to wait any longer." Ukitake called out to his troops and every head turned to face him. "Troops! Today we shall face the greatest threat in the history of Soul Society! Those of you who survive shall go down in history for having conquered such a foe! Stand proud and do not show fear! Fight bravely until the very end! Now go! Charge!" Ukitake raised his sword and the crowd did the same, roaring and chanting as a small team opened the gate.

It took five seconds before the bloodshed began.

A group of ghouls were waiting right behind the gates and they rushed in as soon as the slightest crack appeared. An advance guard cut them down and then led the charge outside where there were already a large number of them waiting.

"Destroy them!!" Kommamura growled as he charged out the gate. A ghoul lunged for his head and he grabbed it in one large hand. The creature whimpered as its ribs were crushed in the powerful grip of his opponent. Kommamura squeezed until the monsters spine snapped in half and its organs were forced out of its body, as if it were a tube of toothpaste. The fox-man hurled the messy remains away and moved on. He dealt with his foes swiftly, hacking them apart with his giant sword.

With high morale, the battle was going in the favour of the living. The large force of the undead was decimated while the shinigami suffered minimal casualties. Those who fell were decapitated as mercy to the warrior who deserved to die as a mortal.

They marched on through the territory of the third squad which was nearly deserted. Only a few stragglers remained around but the overwhelming strength of the shinigami gave them little chance to defend themselves.

The march went on for a while until they found a huge mass of the undead. There were three zombies to each man in Ukitake's forces. The sound of marching footsteps made their rotten heads spin around in unison. The undead army gave a blank eyed stare to their opponent and they began to move towards them, almost completely in sync.

"Such discipline! It's almost as if they were specially trained!" One soldier remarked.

Soi Fon's aghast expression gave an indication of whose squad they belonged to.

"Why are they so organised? When they become ghouls they usually lose their mind!" Ukitake muttered.

Soi Fon stepped ahead of the army and removed her torn haori.

"Soi Fon-"

"They are my men! I shall deal with them!" Soi Fon snarled.

"But there are so many! Surely they can't all be from your squad!" Ukitake tried to reason.

Soi Fon was about to reply when something dropped form a nearby roof top and knocked her over. Everyone cried out in alarm as a horribly wounded captain stood before them. His chest was ripped open and muscle tissue could be seen through the ragged cuts. He was covered in bite wounds and his eyes were blank.

"It...Can't be?!" Kommamura roared.

"Kenpachi?!" Soi Fon gasped, still crouched next to the giant. She leapt to a safe distance and Zaraki followed her movement with his glowing eyes.

"Leave 'em to me!" Zaraki rasped in an unnaturally distorted growl. Without a word, he charged head on into the enemy, hacking them to bits.

"Thank god he's still on our side!" One soldier chuckled.

Ukitake was less than overjoyed. "When he turns he will target us. I doubt I could ever stand against the great Kenpachi Zaraki..."

"Do not fear commander." Kommamura reassured him. "I shall stop him before he ever reaches the front line!"

Ukitake forced a smile and tried to steel himself as the battle raged on. It was demon against demons, but who was the lesser of the two evils?

"!!!!!!" Kenpachi roared as he wiped out a whole flank of ghouls with one two handed swing of his sword. The shockwave had passed through the first rows and continued on until it had cleared a giant space between the undead and the living.

"Lets us go now, before he turns!" Ukitake commanded. His troops began their march through the no-man's land of corpses that Kenpachi had created.

The insane warrior was already moving on to the next pocket of resistance.

"Let us get as far away from him as we possibly can. He is a threat to us no matter what his allegiance may be!" Ukitake led them further through Sereitei until they came to a large forest which depending on the path taken would lead to Sokyoku hill, or the barracks of eleventh squad.

"Do not fear. Past the eleventh squad's area, it is only a short walk to our destination! We will soon be able to rest!" Ukitake said to his troops. It helped some, but others were still nervous of travelling through a forest in the darkness with zombies running about.

They tread carefully, nervously casting their gazes about, searching for the undead menaces stalking them just beyond the reach of sight.

They walked in silence until a loud scream alerted them. Ukitake spun around and found a member of his rear guard missing with only a puddle of blood where he once stood. His men panicked and some strayed from the pack. Ukitake tried to maintain order, though his voice could not carry over the echoing cries of more men who were dragged off to their deaths.

"REGROUP!!!" Ukitake roared over the sinister cacophony. Most obeyed but some began to flee. They did not go far. The shadows claimed them and their agonised screams came shortly after.

Those who obeyed formed a circle, all facing outwards, their goal to spot the enemy wherever they may be.

"I see something moving!" One soldier roared. Many turned to face his direction but only seconds later a dozen men vanished in an orgy of blood.

"Show yourself cowards!!" Kommamura roared, stepping out into the open, ignoring the cries of his comrades. As he hoped, a flickering shadow rushed towards him and he jabbed his blade out, impaling the creature. He brought it up to his face and snarled at the ghoul who wore the stealth squad's uniform. Kommamura bared his fangs and bit off the monsters head before spitting it out at an open patch of grass. Another ghoul pounced from a tree branch and grabbed the head, just before Kommamura cleaved his head in two.

"They are in the trees!" Soi Fon yelled.

"We'll take care of this!" A small team of Kido corps members sent bright balls of coloured fire into the treetops, burning away the cover and illuminating the path ahead. The stealthy ghouls fled, or were incinerated.

The surviving troops marched on through the flickering light cast off by the orange tongues of fire.

When they reached the diverging paths they frowned.

"From here on, we shall have a stronger rear guard!" Ukitake commanded. More men rushed to the rear flank and began walking backwards, to prevent a sneak attack. "Kido corps, do your job!" They kido blasts lit up the next stretch of forest and the moans and cries of distant ghouls could be heard. "Now everyone, march!"

Soi Fon grinned at the grey haired captain. "Commander Ukitake, you are becoming quite the leader. I guess the former commander made the right choice for his successor."

"Thank you, but in all honesty, I don't believe I can lead all of Soul Society. It is a job that consumes your soul and makes you become a monster. I don't think I could ever do that."

"The cold heart will come naturally. You won't even notice it happening." Soi Fon smirked. "I mean, you haven't mourned the loss of any of these pour souls lost on this march have you?"

Ukitake's eyes widened and Soi Fon laughed.

"A true leader cannot be shaken by the death of his servants. You are going well."

"No...I can't! I'm losing my heart to my cursed rank! I won't end up like Yammamoto! I will create a new Soul Society and I shall make sure we never make the mistakes of the past! And I shall do it peacefully!" Ukitake spoke determinedly, but Soi Fon's smile only grew.

"Fool. You are achieving such goals of peace through war and conquest."

"The road to peace is paved with blood." Ukitake muttered.

"Leave the commander alone Soi Fon. This situation is stressful enough without your meddling." Kommamura approached them and their conversation ended there. They left the forest and went through the eleventh squad's barracks without any more problems. Things were going too well...

Ukitake felt a wave of relief when he saw the eighth squad barracks looming up ahead, but then he looked down. The barracks was surrounded on all sides by the undead. Almost every last one was there, howling at those trapped within and wailing mournfully.

"There are so many!"

"How will we get through that?!"

"This is suicide!!"

The troops were beginning to waver at the horrible sight. Ukitake was about to say something when he received a hell butterfly.

"Greetings captain commander Ukitake." Mayuri's rasping voice came through. "I hope things are well." A short chuckle ensued and Ukitake remembered why he hated the odd captain. "I have been watching your escapades and I must say...You seem tired." Another chuckle. "I assume you are tired of fighting those creatures now, so I am informing you that I have an antidote for the virus!"

"WHAT?!" Ukitake roared.

"I have created a way to stop the undead. The cure...is death!"

Ukitake frowned. He should have guessed there was a twist since this was Mayuri speaking.

"I have found a toxin that reacts to rotting flesh and will destroy the body almost instantly. Unfortunately, it will also kill anyone else who comes into contact with it. I have only a short supply, so it would only serve to deal with that large swarm near you."

"The good thing is that this is almost all of them in one place. If the 'cure' is administered to all of them, then the only undead left in Soul Society will be those outside the walls of Sereitei." Mayuri explained.

_So it will clear away those within our borders...that is good. We can spare the Rukon citizens until we find an actual cure. _

Ukitake sent the Hell butterfly back requesting the antidote and instructions on how to use it. He waited patiently until he saw something flash step into view. It was a shinigami. In another flash step, the girl appeared before them, a nervous smile on her face.

"Nemu, thank you." Ukitake said gratefully as he took the vial of blue liquid. "What do we need to do?"

Nemu cleared her throat and pointed to the sky. "You have to release the contents of the vial above the zombies. You should be at least a hundred metres above the ground to do it."

"What? Why do we need to do that?!"

"From that distance, the individual droplets will be able to spread and cover more ground. It only takes one drop to kill them." Nemu said simply.

"To get that high we would need a boost..." Ukitake turned to Kommamura who nodded. "Thank you Nemu-" Ukitake looked around and realised the girl was gone. He shrugged and watched Kommamura's Bankai take form. The giant golem stretched up to the sky and glared down at the ghouls who became alerted to the presence of the survivors.

Soi Fon unsheathed her sword. "I'll defend Kommamura while you go up there. Now hurry up, and give me a signal when you are about to drop the poison. I'd rather live to see the end of this."

"Sure. Give them hell Soi Fon!"

"Give them the 'cure'" Soi Fon said jokingly before rushing off to fight the oncoming horde of zombies.

Ukitake flash stepped up to the giants back and began climbing his armour up onto his shoulder. On the way up he could feel the giant shaking, as if he were being hit. He ignored it and stopped to regain his breath. From the shoulder of the giant, he could see the whole battlefield. The undead were slowly getting the upper hand, but the shinigami would endure for a while yet. There was still time!

"It's time to finish this!" Ukitake roared.

The golem stretched out it's sword until it was over the undead horde. Ukitake strolled onto the arm and froze. He could feel an unnerving presence behind him. He turned slowly and saw a few black spikes sticking up from behind a plate of armour. It didn't register until the bloodied and rotten hand clawed its way up on top, slowly dragging the body with it.

"No!" Ukitake gasped as the monster staggered to his feet. His fanged grin was a dull yellow colour and his war-torn body looked worse than it ever had. "Kenpachi?! How?!"

"I climbed, dumbass!" Kenpachi growled arrogantly. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you kill those guys." the warrior said rather calmly.

"Why are you defending them?!" Ukitake asked.

"Because I haven't had this much fun in years!! This is an enemy that actually bites back!" The madman laughed at his own little joke before glaring at his foe. "I won't let you spoil things for me!"

"I don't care if this is fun for you! It's been hell for the rest of us and I'm ending this nightmare here and now!" Ukitake stood his ground, albeit shakily.

"If that's the way you're gonna be..." Zaraki drew his rusted sword. "...I'll just have to kill you!"

Ukitake drew his sword and tensed every muscle in his body in preparation for what would definitely be a difficult match.

Zombie Kenpachi?! How can anyone defeat such a monster?! Will Ukitake manage to 'cure' the undead, or will Zaraki's intervention ruin all hope of survival? Read the next thrilling chapter to find out!

Please keep coming with the reviews. They are really helpful and I thank everyone who has reviewed so far. 

Unfortunately, this story is extremely close to the finish line now, but I'm glad that so many people have enjoyed the ride. 


	20. The Dead Shall Rest

**The Dead Shall Rest**

Ukitake stared dumbstruck at the appearance of Zaraki Kenpachi. It was painfully obvious that what little humanity existed in that man before were now gone. He was a monster no matter how you put it.

"I'm going to have to kill you!" Zaraki smirked confidently as he held out his battle-scarred katana. "I always wanted to fight you. You've been a captain for so long, yet I've never seen you fight. I've always wondered what powers lurked beneath your weak exterior."

"Your taunts are meaningless Kenpachi! I won't back down! I never wanted to face you on the battlefield, but it cannot be helped. To save Soul Society and myself, I must slay you!"

"Then come! Show me the strength that I've yearned to see!" Zaraki laughed maniacally as Ukitake charged.

The two crossed swords in a spray of sparks. Kenpachi howled with delight as he was pushed back.

"Excellent! You killing intent is weak, but your reiatsu makes up for it! Let's go again!" Zaraki ran head-on and raised his sword up high before bringing it down on his opponent. Ukitake flash stepped out of the way and the rusted blade slammed into the thick armoured shoulder of Kommamura's Bankai. The golem blinked, but that was all.

Zaraki laughed as he spun around with his sword out, aiming to bifurcate his foe. Ukitake jumped back and jabbed his blade forth towards Zaraki's side. The beast caught the blade with his hand and grinned wickedly.

Ukitake stared at the monsters hand which was bleeding profusely.

"I can't even feel it!" Zaraki growled. "But I bet you can feel this!" He swung his sword back and caught Ukitake's chest. A crimson fountain spurted for a few seconds before slowing to a steady flow. Ukitake yanked his sword out of Kenpachi's grasp and fled to a safe distance to lick his wounds.

_Damn! I should have aimed to kill back then! I was careless...I forgot that Zaraki was numb to any form of pain even when he was alive! I need to be careful now. I can't slip up again or I could lose my head!_

"I don't have all day!" Zaraki yelled. "If this is the best you can do then I'll just finish this quickly!"

"Shut up!" Ukitake snarled. He gritted his teeth and searched for an opening. He found many, Zaraki's defence was always full of holes, but his ability to counter-attack was the main concern. Since no-one has ever killed him in one hit before, no-one has ever been able to beat him. You can hack at him for days and the fool would still stand there laughing at you. He was more of a monster than all the undead put together.

"Boring. I'm going to show you my true power!" Zaraki grabbed his eye patch and tore it off. For a moment, nothing happened. Ukitake felt nauseous when he saw the small white bugs crawling out of the empty eye-socket.

_Maggots?! He had maggots in his eye and he never even realised it!! What is he?!_

"Ha...I guess that backfired then. Those little bastards broke my eye patch." Kenpachi hurled the useless scrap of material aside and grinned. "Oh well. I never needed it in the first place! I'll kill you at my weakest!"

Ukitake charged straight for his foe, but as he was right in front of him, he flash stepped behind the ghoul and buried his blade in Kenpachi's shoulder. His blade sliced through Kenpachi's rotting flesh as if it were butter and it soon got down to bone. Zaraki drew his sword back and prepared to attack the defenceless captain, but Ukitake pressed down on the blade, trying to force its way out.

Kenpachi's sword cut through the air and made its way to Ukitake's face. The grey haired captain glared at the rusted blade and then doubled his efforts. The blade inched closer and closer to his face but at the last instant his own sword broke through bone and slipped out Kenpachi's side. Ukitake dropped just as the blade caught his hair and slice a large portion of it off.

"Ha! Nice haircut!" Kenpachi chuckled as his arm fell uselessly to the ground. Shrivelled organs could be seen through the vacant hole in his side and his dull yellow ribs showed large cracks. Dark blood gushed out from the hole, but the beast was unaffected.

"I should have known! The only way to kill the ghouls is to destroy the head! I need to take his head quickly before-" Ukitake suddenly dropped to his knees. His stomach churned and he threw up, though what spewed forth from his mouth was blood. He stared the puddle and he felt his body grow weaker and weaker.

_No! Not now!! I can't afford to get sick now! I need to fight! I need to-_

"Bluergh!" Ukitake retched up more of his vital fluids and got on all fours.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Zaraki laughed hysterically. "Just when you thought you had the upper hand you get sick! You're nothing but a sick dog! That mean's it's time to be put down!" Zaraki roared with laughter as he slowly crossed over to his fallen prey.

Ukitake tried to drown out the laughter as he stared down below at all the people fighting bravely for him. They were dying for his cause; they were dying to protect him! He couldn't let them down! Ukitake glared up at Kenpachi, his eyes glowing with such contempt that it made the undead warrior stop dead in his tracks.

"Zaraki...For the sake of everyone I care about...I must stop you and your wretched kind!" The wounded man shakily got on his feet. "Even if I have to die for it...I will stop you!"

Kenpachi smirked and slashed at Ukitake's side. Jushiro blocked it with the flat of his blade and then kicked his opponent back a few steps before leaping into the air. He raised his sword high and prepared for the final strike.

"KENPACHI!! I WILL DEFEAT YOU!!" Ukitake brought his sword down and watched it reach the ghouls decaying face, but before the blade could contact his greying skin, something hit Ukitake full in the stomach and lifted him up just enough so that his blade couldn't hit.

Zaraki laughed and twisted his sword which had impaled the ageing captain commander.

"Bas...tard!" Ukitake grunted as blood flowed between his teeth and out of his mouth.

"Hmm. I guess I have the longer reach. Now you can't touch me!" Zaraki smiled confidently. "Sorry, but I have no more time to waste on weaklings like you!" Ukitake gave a hint of a smile and Zaraki's eyes narrowed. "What are you smiling about, smart-ass?"

"I'm sorry...Kenpachi..."

"Huh?"

"I don't have time...To waste...On...Weaklings like you!" Ukitake repeated his opponent's words and then hurled his sword like a spear, right into Kenpachi's face. The blade sank through his good eye and struck out the back of his head, drenched in gore. The undead warrior dropped his sword and released Ukitake as he stumbled about roaring like a beast from hell. In his blind rage, he stumbled off of the edge of the golem's armour and plummeted far below, eventually colliding with the stone ground. His body exploded on impact and his body splattered all over the area, sending a rain of dark blood and shrapnel of bone and flesh around the battlefield.

"It's...Not over...Yet!" Ukitake groaned as he dragged himself along the golems arm until he was positioned over the undead horde. He reached for the vial of poison but became paralysed. He was losing too much blood and he was too weak to even lift the small vial.

"No! I...Can't...Let them down!" Ukitake cried as he collapsed and his vision began to go blurry.

*****

Kiyone watched the great battle unfold before her very eyes. An army of shinigami were battling their way towards the gate to rescue her and Kommamura had unleashed his Bankai, though it seemed to be standing still for some reason. Kiyone wondered why the giant was not moving, but she became distracted by the sudden drop in her beloved captain's reiatsu. She frowned and looked out over the battle field for the grey haired man.

_Captain Ukitake...Where are you? What's going on?!_

She studied every face in the crowd, but none of them were Ukitake. The man was definitely out there, yet he was nowhere to be seen!

His reiatsu was dropping lower and lower with every passing second. She needed to find him and help him before he died!

As her search seemed more hopeless than before, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She felt compelled to look at it and so she turned her head and stared at the body falling from the sky. She assumed the worst.

"UKITAKE!!!!"

"What happened?!" Her older sister asked as she clambered up to the top of the wall. Kiyone didn't answer. Instead she leapt off of the wall and into the sea of rotting corpses. Her sister screamed but Kiyone ignored her.

She managed to reach the centre of the group when the body collided with the ground with a thud so loud it was deafening. She was instantly sprayed with blood and she could feel gibbets of flesh hit her as they flew out from the impact. She stared horrified at the crimson stains all over her body. She could feel the dark liquid dripping down her forehead and neck. Unable to suppress her disgust, she threw up.

She stared at what remained of the body and noticed Ukitake's katana embedded in what used to be a head, but was now a mess of brain matter and bone fragments.

"He must have been fighting this guy...That means..." She trailed off and stared up at the golem's outstretched sword. She immediately flash stepped over a large flank of the undead and made her way past the living shinigami until she was at the feet of the giant. She flash stepped up his immense legs and quickly became exhausted. She ignored her weariness and continued to climb up the giants back. By the time she reached his monstrously huge shoulder plates she could barely move.

"Ukitake-san...Please...Hold on!" Kiyone dragged herself up over the thick armour and cast her gaze out over the giant sword. Just near the tip, someone was lying face down in a puddle of blood. Kiyone tried to move further, but she had used up too much energy. She was almost as weak as her captain now. She had failed him. She had tried her hardest to reach him, but she now realised the gap between their powers. She couldn't even remain standing after six Shunpo. She was useless...

"I'm sorry...Ukitake...I couldn't...Protect...You..." Kiyone fell on her face and sobbed. She was on the verge of passing out when something landed in front of her. Kiyone's eyes widened at the sight of a flowing white coat.

"I should have guessed that it would be me who had to finish them off!" The unusual rasping tone was unmistakeable. It was the insane captain of twelfth squad...Mayuri Kurotsuchi!

"Mayuri..."

"Hmm, you're so drained merely from climbing up here? No wonder you only reached third seat. No matter. I'll end this pathetic little escapade!"

"Please...save my captain?" Kiyone begged.

"I don't care for your captain. Whether he dies or not is his own concern! All I want is to be rid of these damned undead souls! I created them, so it only fitting for me to destroy them!" Mayuri cackled maniacally as he strolled out onto the sword.

Kiyone watched as he flash stepped over to Ukitake's body and began rummaging through his coat. He then took out a little glass vial and walked to the very edge of the sword.

"Hmm, I can create and destroy life in such vast quantities...I am almost like a god..." Mayuri mused.

"Drop...The...Damn poison!" Ukitake growled.

"Very well. I guess I have held this off for a few too many days now."

"What?! You knew the about the cure all along?!" Ukitake roared with great effort. He coughed violently afterwards.

"Of course. I never study something without first creating an antidote. It would be foolish not to!" Mayuri stated simply.

Ukitake clenched a fist and struggled to get into a seated position. "You mean...You let this all happen knowing fully well...how to stop it?"

"Yes." Mayuri said blankly.

"Why?!"

"Well, because it was such a great chance to study, of course!" Mayuri grinned wickedly.

"You bastard!" Ukitake growled.

"I do not regret what I have done. I have completed all necessary research, even if it was at the cost of some allies."

"So you really care more about those ghouls than your own friends?"

"No. I hate them. They had the potential to surpass us, but in the end they are useless! They are too stupid to even realise their potential! They are a failed experiment and now I realise that death is the only cure for them!" Mayuri glared down at the undead below.

"Kill them already!" Ukitake roared.

Mayuri frowned and spilled the contents of the vial over the edge of the sword, to rain down on those below.

The poisonous rain covered the undead horde that all began to scream in utter agony as the toxin did its work. They began dropping like flies and when the majority had been slain, the shinigami below finished off those who dodged the rain. In only a matter of minutes, the hundreds of ghouls had all died.

Ukitake's jaw dropped at the sight of the graveyard below. "What the hell was that?"

Mayuri rolled his eyes. "The magician never reveals his secrets." The cruel scientist turned away from Ukitake and wiped a tear from his eyes.

*****

Kommamura sealed his Zanpakuto and Kiyone and Ukitake were sent to the infirmary while the others began the clean-up. Mayuri had disappeared the moment the undead were 'cured' but no-one was too concerned. He had always been a strange recluse, so it was no unusual for him to run away once the battle is over.

The large fox man headed to the infirmary and monitored his friends while they were being treated.

He watched silently and remained by their side until the sun went down.

*****

Byakuya stood in the Kuchiki family graveyard and bowed before the newly constructed grave for his sister, Rukia. He had carved it himself while the battle raged on the other side of Sereitei. He kneeled before the grave for a long time, until the sun set, then he went off in search of the other survivors.

After a long search, he found them in a banquet hall, having a celebratory feast. Many of those present wore bandages or carried scars from their most recent fight. All of them were scarred, yet they put on a brave face and celebrated the end of the nightmare...but it was still far from over. Rukongai was still infested with the undead and both worlds were unstable from suffering such huge losses. There would be much more hardship to endure on the road to a fresh start.

Byakuya sat down with them, but he was not hungry. He gave a toast to the fallen and then left them as he retreated alone back to his manor. He went to his bed chamber where had the first nightmare filled sleep of many more to come...

So...The nightmare has ceased for now...But what shall be the fate of the zombies in Rukongai? What happened to Alice? Find out in the final chapter of 'The Dead Are Undead'!

Thank you so much for following this story this far. Please review.


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

SOMEWHERE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF KARAKURA

DIRT ROAD

Alice could feel gravel biting into her flesh and getting in her wounds. She had been lying on the side of the road for what felt like weeks now. She wasn't sure how much time had passed since everyone she cared for had been taken from her in an orgy of violence. The incident at the school would haunt her for the rest of her life, however long that would be. Unfortunately, she was desperately starving just even a crumb, so her time could be soon up.

She had not tasted water for three days now and her throat was so parched it hurt just to breathe.

She spent her days watching the smoke and fire on the horizon, or watching the ravenous birds circling over the towns before swooping down to pick off the flesh from the dead. Luckily, the undead had not found her; in fact they were nowhere to be seen now.

Alice tried to rest, but the pain that was gnawing at every nerve in her entire body was preventing her from drifting off easily. After a long struggle with trying to numb the pain, she finally began to get sleepy. Her eyes drifted shut as a soft breeze blew against her sun-scorched face.

Her brief sleep was blissful, but a loud roar scared her into alertness. She rolled her head around trying to find the source of the constant growl. She listened intently and realised with growing dread that whatever it was...it was getting closer!

Alice saw a cloud of dust rising over a small hill and through it was a large silhouette.

_They finally found me...Those bastard zombies! I really thought I had given them the slip..._

The loud roar increased in volume and the clouds were split apart as the huge beast charged through. Dust was swept up into Alice's face and she closed her eyes to avoid the worst of it. She felt the air move past her face and expected it to hit her at full speed, but it stopped abruptly. She opened her eyes and stared at something big and black. It looked scaly, but Alice was unsure what it was.

It clicked and suddenly a foot dropped in front of her. Alice gasped as she looked up into the eyes of a small girl with a fearful look in her eyes.

"Alice?" the girl asked, unsure of herself.

Alice tried to reply but her throat was so dry she could only croak. The girl waved at something out of sight and two large men approached her. They picked up Alice and helped her into the back cabin of a large military vehicle.

"I can't believe it! You survived!" The girl said excitedly. Her voice was familiar but it was hard to place the name to the face. The girl looked to one of the other passengers in the monstrous vehicle and held out a hand. A bottle of water was hurled at her and she gave it to Alice who guzzled the whole 600mL in a few seconds. It dribbled down her chin and sprayed her top but she was too absorbed in the wonderful taste of the water that she gave no notice. When she was done she sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat.

"Do you remember me?" The girl asked. Alice shook her head. "Karin...Ichigo's sister."

Suddenly it clicked in her mind. Alice jumped up and hugged the little girl with her minimal energy.

"Oh god, it was so awful!" Alice sobbed. One of the soldiers patted her on the shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort her.

Karin hugged her back and sniffed. "We checked the school already..."

"Was Ichigo...?" Alice trailed off when Karin stared right at her with a serious gaze. It was answer enough and Alice left it at that.

"We found Karin hiding in an alley yesterday. We swept through the town searching for survivors, but we only found her. Now that you're here that makes two." A soldier with a short goatee explained to her. He cradled an assault rifle with a bloodied bayonet. "That town will be under quarantine for a few months, and then you can return there if you wish, but we already have a refuge area for all the gathered survivors in a large town just a few kilometres north of here.

"Thank you..." Alice whispered.

"We're sorry for your losses. This is the most costly pandemic in world history. It even quadrupled the death rate of the black plague, but the body count is sure to rise still..." The soldier frowned. "I wish you good luck in your new life; hopefully, we can rebuild what we have lost one day..."

Alice nodded and peered out the window at the large walled city ahead. Soldiers patrolled the fences and tanks and jeeps were driving around constantly. Jets flew over head, patrolling the land from the skies. It was heavily fortified. Not even a full scale attack could breach this place...Hopefully...

The large armoured car stopped at the gate and everyone was checked for bites before being admitted. Inside, the car drove to a large town square where many people were waiting. When Alice and Karin stepped out a loud cheer erupted from the gathered men women and children.

"Two more!" The driver called out to the crowd who revelled in the small growth in population.

"Even the smallest finds excite these people. Even if just one person survived, it is one more ally rather than a zombie." The lead soldier explained. "Hopefully you can make a few new friends to make up for those lost. Anyway good luck, we've got another two towns to search by nightfall so we best be off." The soldier saluted and the armoured car drove back out into the wasteland that was once Japan.

Alice and Karin stayed together and sat alone at a bench to observe the many survivors. People from many different countries were walking around, making new friends and getting together. It was inspiring to see so many people still alive, but the prospect of so many billions of zombies out there made it seem rather hopeless. Even in Japan alone, there would be millions of the undead crawling about looking for food. This pocket of resistance would last for a while, but eventually it would fall.

"So...What do we do now?" Karin murmured.

"We wait."

"For what?" Karin cocked her head at Alice who was glaring at the horizon.

"We wait...Until our friends come and find us..." Alice said simply.

"Huh? They can't find us! They are all de- Oh..." Karin frowned and looked to the ground.

"Humanity is doomed. Even if we survived this round, the next one will surely put an end to our existence." Alice sighed. She then turned to Karin with a beaming smile. "Until then, how about we get some ice-cream?"

Karin smiled weakly and they walked off.

*****

EIGHT DAYS LATER

Karin and Alice bolted upright in their beds. An alarm was ringing and the sound of pounding footsteps outside was incredibly loud. They ran outside and watched as a flood of soldiers rushed to the front gate of the town.

Alice dragged Karin alongside her as they followed. They climbed up on top of a small hut and they stared at the dark mass on the horizon. Alice squinted at them but could not make them out.

Tanks rolled out and foot soldiers jogged along-side the war machines. As the oncoming crowds came closer, Alice son recognised them. They looked vaguely human, but they limped across the dirt with broken bodies and rotten flesh. A swarm of flies hovered over them as they came closer.

"It's them!" Karin gasped.

"FIRE AT WILL!!!" A soldier roared. Gunfire rattled on throughout the evening as shells exploded in the undead ranks. It held some of them off, but those that were unaffected strolled right into the sights of snipers and infantry who shot them down without hesitation.

"Well, at least they have the firepower to hold them off..." Alice muttered. "As long as they don't reach the gate we should be fine."

Another alarm went off.

Screams came from behind as well as menacing growls and roars.

Alice turned slowly to see them crawling through the back fence. The defences were too thin due to the heavy frontal assault so it was impossible to stop the second wave from coming in.

"Security breach! Security breach! All personnel evacuate immediately!!" A mechanical voice cried out over the speakers placed around the town.

Several buses lined up and terrified citizens rushed on. The large vehicles filled up quickly and they drove off without waiting around. The helicopter pad in the centre of the town became crowded as people fought for a position on the several choppers.

It was chaos...

It was...The end of the new world...

Alice watched soldier get beheaded by a ghoul with long claws. Alice jumped down from the roof and kicked the beast into a wall before taking the weapons from the dead soldier. She put a bullet in the man's head before turning on the ghoul. Karin joined her and took a side-arm from the soldier's belt. The two of them stood back to back as the undead swarmed around them.

"Ready?" Alice asked.

"Ready!" Karin yelled.

"!!!!!"

*****

SOUL SOCIETY

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Mayuri studied a computer screen with a curious grin. He suddenly felt the presence of intruders and so he switched off the screen and spun around in time to see Ukitake stroll into the laboratory.

The captain commander was covered in bandages but otherwise fine. "How is the research going?"

"I am nearly on the verge of finding a way to reverse the affects of the virus." Mayuri replied proudly.

"Great. In no time we will be able to reverse the affects on the Rukongai citizens, and then we can begin conscription for the new Gotei 13. Keep up the good work Kurotsuchi."

"Yes Ukitake-san."

Ukitake left as quickly as he had arrived and Mayuri returned to his work. He flicked the screen back on and stared at the two bodies suspended in a bright blue fluid. They were his test subjects for the cure. One of them opened their eyes and Mayuri grinned from ear to ear. He pressed a button on the wall and a section of the floor opened up, leading to his secondary laboratory underground. He hobbled down the stairs and approached the large tanks, both with a subject inside. One was male, the other female.

The boy was only young, mid-teens with an athletic build. His flesh was dull grey and his skin was flaking as if he were suffering from sever sunburn. The most striking thing of course, was his bright orange hair. The boy studied Mayuri with blank white eyes. Tiny pin-prick pupils followed his movements.

The girl had shoulder length black hair and was smaller than the male. Her throat had been mauled and the rest of her body was covered in hideous scars. Her hair was messy and matted together with dried blood, but one small bang managed to fall across her face.

Mayuri grinned at his pets and took out a bucket of raw meat. "Feeding time!"

The two ghouls clawed sluggishly at the tubes, trying to reach the meat. Mayuri chuckled as he watched his toys play with their food.

"Soon...Soon I will bring you back. You shall be the Adam and Eve of my new species!" Mayuri spread his arms wide and howled manically. "Mwahahahahahahahahaha!"

His insane laughter echoed throughout the laboratory and the two ghouls stared at their master with dead-eyed wonder...Oblivious to what they were being used for and the horrors that were still to come...

**THE END?**

Well, the journey is over for now, but there will be a sequel in the near future. I hope you enjoyed the story and that I have pleased those dedicated followers who had been reviewing non-stop for the entire story. Thank you so much for helping me along the way and thanks to everyone who has been reading this, or any of my other stories. Be patient and I will get started on the sequel when I can, but that may be some time. 

Anyway, please review. I am keen to know what your thoughts are. 


	22. Sequel Preview

**Bonus Chapter – Preview!**

I thought I'd go ahead and do this just to give you a taste of what's to come, since the wait may be considerably long. Enjoy and be patient for the real thing shall be released in due time. It starts off as a summary for the whole series, then it becomes a preview. Below is a key so you understand what's happening.

**[Deep Narrator Voice]**

[Scenes]

There, that's the key, now it should make sense. Read on and review the preview.

* * *

**It was the disaster that shook the entire world...**

A news report shows a shaken man looking around nervously. He takes a deep breath and looks into the camera. "This is an emergency broadcast from Raccoon city. A mysterious virus has spread across the city, wiping out the population and turning the infected into ravenous monsters. They have taken over most of the city and it is only a matter of time before we too are found. Many survivors are opting to flee the country, but these attempts have proven...Unsuccessful..."

Footage plays of a boatload of refugees holding up signs reading 'We are not infected.' and 'We are healthy.' The refugees jump up and down and shout out at a nearby military vessel which opens fire on them, causing the ship to explode.

"Many countries are reluctant to accept those seeking refuge but unofficial flights are taking off from the City's airport. The passengers are being screened for the infection and proper quarantine is being taken into effect."

Footage of a young girl being shot in the head at point blank range plays. Blood sprays onto the lens and footage ends, returning to the reporter.

The reporter looks around and his jaw drops suddenly. A loud crash comes from offscreen.

"Oh god! They're here!! Run for it!! Um...People of the world, there is no hope! I repeat- AAAAAAGGHHHHHH!"

A zombie steps in front of camera and swipes at it. The reporter tries to run but trips. He is quickly surrounded by ghouls.

"SAVE YOURSELVES!!!!" The reporter screams as his body is ripped apart in full view of the camera. Footage then cuts to black with bright blood dripping down from the top of the screen.

**Escape was impossible...**

Zombies are attacking passengers on a plane. People are fighting desperately, but it is a losing battle. Screams echo as things once again cut to black.

**The virus spread throughout the world in a matter of hours. While some decided to fight...**

A team of military officers open fire on a group of zombies. One of the men is ambushed from behind and he is decapitated and eaten. A nearby comrade bashes them with his rifle but he too is consumed. Loud gunshots rattle and more zombies fall. One charges straight into the camera.

Cycles through some fights of the first story.

**Others hid, waiting for the nightmare to end...**

Shows Ichigo, Rukia, Tatsukia, Orihime, Alice, Steph and Jill sitting in the school office.

**But they should have known...**

Loud growling interrupts and becomes increasingly louder.

**The nightmare never ends!**

Jill hacks at a crowd of ghouls with a chainsaw which then stops working. As she runs back to her comrades she is tackled and her entrails are yanked out of her stomach.

Steph fires madly at a swarm of the undead which quickly surrounds her. She is soon out of sight but her screams can be heard.

Tatsuki and Inoue huddle together, weeping as they are clawed at by the undead. Tatsuki takes out a grenade. Shot changes to a large building exploding and falling apart.

Rukia and Ichigo sit together weeping as the undead surround them and drown out their cries with their inhuman grunts.

**The battles ended in tragedy...**

Cycles through shots of the dead characters corpses.

**But the few who lived on, have a new nightmare to face!**

Shows a zombie Ichigo and Rukia being released from two large tanks of blue fluid. They approach a man whose back is turned. There is a number twelve on the back of his white coat.

**From the creator of 'The Dead Are Undead'...**

Insane laughter plays as footage plays of hordes of the undead crawl through streets. They then all stop and stare at a grop of silhouettes hidden in fog.

**Comes a new masterpiece of horror!**

Creepy music plays.

**World Of The Living Dead! Coming soon! Read it before it's too late!**

Shows a corpse whose eyes suddenly shoot open. He roars and lunges at the camera which gets splattered in blood. Title of story appears written in amputated limbs. The dot in the 'I' of living is a human head. Cuts to black briefly before cutting back to zombie Ichigo who growls like an animal. Returns to black and fades out.

Well, what do you think? Does it sound good? I hope that keeps you hooked until I get the story written. As I said, be patient I will get started eventually when I get my other stories finished. 


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